“Come on, pups, what’s your name?” the other guy asks, stepping forward. This one has a lighter hair color than the one obviously in charge of the two, and a more laid back energy, too.
“I’m not telling you freaks shit,” I spit, gritting my teeth at them again. “You’re abominations!”
The laid back one laughs, while the bossy one flares his nostrils, and glares at me.
“That makes you one too,” the bossy one says, and then he turns to his buddy. “I think she’s still in training.”
“What? She’s gotta be older than eighteen,” the laid back one answers, “are you sure?”
“Positive,” the bossy one mutters and looks back at me, sniffing the air close to me, as if I stink. I know I do, but he could be less obvious about it.. How rude.
He then lunges forward to grab my wrist. I struggle against him, but it’s no use. Werewolves are fucking strong. I know since I am one, but this one is much stronger than me. I’m also in shock because I thought I was the only one in the whole world, so we’ll go with that as a reason for why he can pull me down the road so easily. If I was in my right mind I would have tackled him, kicked his nuts and ran for the hills.
“What the fuck is training?” I ask them as their words sink in. “And how do you know I’m an abomination like you? I’m just a girl!”
“Shut up. Our Alpha will know what to do with you,” the bossy one says harshly,
The laid back one gives me an apologetic look and shrugs.
“Sorry about him. His daughter is teething and I think she’s bit his tail a few times,” he says, whispering to me as I’m being dragged behind the very strong, idiotic dude.
“Is she..? I mean…”
I trail off, not sure if I even want to finish my question at all.
“Is she what?” the bossy one asks, stopping abruptly. The squishy sounds from my boots are very audible as they both stop, and I continue a step because I didn’t really get the memo.
“Is she a wolf, too?” I manage to ask, staring into the intimidating man’s eyes.
“What kind of question is that? Of course she is!”
They both start walking again, and they’re both silent from now on, just dragging me after them. I’ve stopped struggling, since I know I can’t win. I’m even more shocked to know there are more wolves out there than us three. Are there even more than his daughter, too? Were my real parents wolves?
My thoughts are interrupted when we enter a village in the middle of the forest. Houses are everywhere, but I don’t see any people. If anyone lives here, they’re inside underneath a warm, cozy blanket watching feel-good movies with their happy families, due to the rain. It looks old, but very well maintained. It looks like it’s brand new, but by the style it looks like it’s from at least a hundred years ago. The houses are made of logs put in top of each other, with moss and grass on the roofs. Most of the houses has concrete foundations and a basement underneath. Some houses are big, others are small, but they all look the same. I wonder how they look inside.
The two men drag me towards the biggest house of them all, but not to the front door. By the looks of it, they’re dragging me towards the entrance to the basement. What a great way to treat guests. I’m not even a threat to these people, I’m just a girl. A lone wolf in the wrong place at the wrong time, apparently.
I’m being pushed down some stairs to the basement of the huge house, and I huff at the two men as they descend the stairs with grace, while I almost fall to the floor. I take a few more steps inside, not really bothering to defy them, and I’m immediately regretting the decision not to run when I had the chance. A huge, older man is standing in the middle of the room, with his arms crossed, very much like the bossy guy did earlier. He nods to the two others, and then he meets my gaze.
“What’s your name, girl?” the man asks me.
I keep my mouth shut, and cross my own arms. I feel water running down my body from the sudden pressure to the knitted yarn in my sweater, but I don’t let it bother me. I’ve gotta stay strong.
I take a look around me, and see a few cells around me, like prison cells. Large bars make up the cell-walls, dust coating the floors inside them, and a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling in all four cells. They seem to be empty, luckily, and I continue to peer at the huge man in front of me.
“Where’s your pack?” he continues.
Pack? Is he crazy? I didn’t even know there was more werewolves than me in the world until a few minutes ago, how would I have a pack?
“Answer me, girl,” he says, and he sounds like he really doesn’t want to be mad at me, but he has to for some reason.
I suck in some oxygen and grimace slightly before I open up my mouth to speak.
“I don’t have a pack,” I say.
“A rogue?” the laidback guy says, stifling a laugh.
“No, she isn’t rogue,” the bossy one says, walking up to the huge man. “She smells like a pup in training.”
“Stop calling me a puppy!” I sneer at them all.
“Can you shift? Right here, right now?” the older man asks me, and I meet his intense gaze, shaking my head at his questions. “Who trained you?”
“No one trained me! I didn’t even know anyone else was like me until today!” I yell, tired of being questioned about stuff I don’t know the answer to.
“How unusual,” the man mutters, and looks at me. “Do you have any birthmarks, girl?”
I look at him, not really believing that he’s asking me that, but I do have one. It’s on my hip, on the left side. I can’t wear bikinis because of that thing, the strings doesn’t cover shit. I nod at the man, and furrow my brows a little.
“Can I see?”
What a creepy ass question! But fine. I don’t have anything to hide, and the fact that he asks makes me question whether it really is a birthmark or not. It might be a wolf-thing, since he brought it up. I pull my sweater and tank top up a little, and push the hem of my jeans down with my other hand, and turn so he can see the mark. I can’t see it unless I have a mirror because of it’s location, but it’s definitely there.
The man looks at me, then his eyes shifts down to my mark, and he squats down to take a look at it. I just hope he doesn’t try to touch me. He’s staring at the mark, with furrowed brows. Then he rolls up the sleeve of his shirt, showing me a mark on his forearm. It’s not the same, but it’s in the same style. It’s a crescent moon. Mine is like a circle, but not completely round on one of the sides. It’s a wolf-thing, then. Fuck me..
The man stands up again, and I cover myself up after the two other men has gotten a look of my mark too. The man sends me a small smile, and extends his hand to me.
“I’m Juan Kaios, Alpha of the Crescent pack. This is my son, Alessandro,” he says, as I shake his hand reluctantly, and he motions towards the bossy guy. Then he motions towards the laidback guy. “And my son-in-law, Marco.”
I swallow some of my pride, figuring that I might learn a thing or two from these people.
“Yohanna Juarez,” I mutter, and let go of his hand.
“You have the mark of the Iokua pack,” Uno states, and I look at him in shock. “I thought they were all gone.”
I have a pack? But, not really, since they’re gone? I’m more confused than ever.
“Gone?” I ask, unsure if I really want to know the answer.
“Yes, they were attacked nineteen years ago, their village burned down and they… They all died. Or so we thought,” he says, and puts his hand around the back of my neck. “Why don’t we get you cleaned up, into some new clothes and then you can meet the rest of my family, eh?”
I don’t really get the sudden change in Juan’s demeanor. It seemed like his son and son-in-law didn’t either, yet Marco showed me to a guest room on the second floor, where I had a private bathroom and a huge bed. He said I’d be staying there until Juan said otherwise. He also said he would ask his friend to lend me some clothes, so I now have a whole duffel bag of clothes inside the guest room. I decide to take a shower, and get into some of these clean clothes. I really need it. I’ve been washing up in rivers for too long, occasionally sneaking into a public pool or something, to use the showers there. It works, but nothing beats a real shower, like this. I undress myself before I walk into the bathroom. It’s small, but cozy, and the water is warm almost immediately after I turn it on, which is nice. Still, I find myself looking into the mirror. I haven’t in a long time, and I almost immediately regret it. I’m looking scrawny. Boney, even. My ribs are sticki
The house has the most amazing, lingering smell to it. It’s woodsy, mixed with the tiniest bit of exhaust, and a hint of a men’s cologne, similar to one I stole a few years back to cover my stench. It’s the perfect mix. I love the woods, it makes me feel so peaceful and content with life, no matter what comes next, and I’ve always had an interest in cars and their engines, so the smell of exhaust enthuses me. It’s wonderful, and I can’t help but flare my nostrils to figure out where it’s coming from. I’m pretty sure it’s strongest in the room next to mine, but it really is everywhere. Even down the stairs, through the living room and the kitchen. I sniff the air a bit, and I think the smell is coming from outside… “Yohanna!” Marco says, interrupting my thoughts. I turn my head towards him and he’s smiling at me. He is indeed more laidback than his brother-in-law. “Hello,” I say, smiling softly back at him. “Thank y
I wake up to a knock on the door, and I sit up, staring at the door in horror. His smell is everywhere, but I know I locked the door, so he hasn’t been in here. I hope. As the knocking continues, I get up from the bed, and walk over to the door, and slowly turn the lock around, before I open the door up. I brace myself as I look through the door, but it isn’t him. I exhale in relief as I look into Soraya’s kind eyes. “May I come in?” she asks, holding up a tray with two sets of breakfast on it, and I nod, stepping aside so she can come into the room. She walks through the room like she owns it, and I guess she does, but it’s a little intimidating, at the same time as it’s very calming and reassuring. She sets the tray down on the bed, and sits down on the edge, patting on the bedding next to her for me to sit down, too. I close the door again, and walk over the the bed, and crawl up into it.
“Don’t be silly, girl, it’s a wonderful idea. You’re in training right? But you don’t have a trainer. He’s really good, and even though you’re his mate, he won’t go easy on you,” she says, and smiles at me still. This woman doesn’t ever stop smiling, does she? “In training?” I question again. I feel so incredibly stupid, and I just want to know when the fuck I can move on so I don’t have to break this guy’s heart. If I walk away now, he won’t get sad, and we’ll move on with our lives. I internally groan as I reaAlbae my thoughts. I sound like I think I’m a catch, but in reality I’m just a loner. I’ve learnt to take care of myself, and while I would love to have a soulmate and someone to rely on, I can’t. “Can you shift at will? Use your powers whenever?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at me. I swallow. “N-no,” I stutter. “Perf
My eyes open up slowly, and they immediately meet with a pair of green ones, very much unlike his siblings’ eyes. I was expecting brown, but I guess he got his mother’s eyes. My breath has stopped, that’s safe to say, and I don’t really know what to do except stare into his eyes. They’re so beautiful, like two bright, shiny emeralds. One corner of his mouth quirks up into a half-smile as he looks back at me.After what feels like an eternity, I finally move my eyes to look at him, and not just his eyes. His skin is pale, just a little darker than mine, and he has a beard. My so-called soulmate has a beard, and I’m not repelled by it. It’s more like the opposite is happening, judging by the tickling feeling everywhere, even between my legs. I really want to wrap my arms around his neck and be even closer to him, but I can’t do that to myself. I need to leave soon.His short beard is dark brown,
“I’ve been looking for you since I turned fifteen. I was already finished with my training and I could focus on looking for you. I went everywhere. By the time I was twenty I had lost hope. I thought you were dead, that my mate had died before we met,” he says, his voice is a lot softer than before, but still deep, and the vibrations from his chest it sending shivers down my spine.“I don’t understand,” I whisper.I find myself leaning my cheek against his warm chest. He is so warm, even though it’s cold outside. He is very aesthetically pleasing, too, which is of course a bonus, but I’m still unsure if I even believe this. Did he spend five years looking for me?“What don’t you understand, little mate?” he asks.“Everything.”He sighs, but somehow his arms tighten around me.&ldquo
I turn around to face away from Azaire, and look at my surroundings. We’re in a clearing inside the never-ending forest. It looks almost like someone has made it this way, with the tree stumps scattered around, a log there, and a fire-pit in the middle. A few meters away from me is a treehouse, leaning against one of the bigger trees surrounding the clearing. It looks like it’s filled with comic books and toys, and I take a step closer to it, just to see if I’m right.“I used to come out here with dad when I was a kid, when he had patrol,” Azaire says, but he doesn’t move. “Dad and his beta, Paul, built it for me and Paul’s son Tyler, who is my best friend. You should meet him, and his mate. I have a feeling you’d hit it off.”I turn around and frown at him.“Just because I’m supposedly your mate, it means I’d become friends with your friend&rs
My heart seems to relax a little as I listen to his words and stare into his eyes. His last words feels a little like a stab to the burnt outside of it, though, making me flinch. I try to move my head, but he won’t let me. He holds my head in place, and he keeps staring into my eyes. He’s way too intense for me to handle right now, even though I’m glad I’m already on my knees. His smoldering eyes would bring me down if not. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and everything I never knew I liked, in a man, but he won’t get me this easily. I still need to leave.“Why don’t you try to focus on the feelings you have when you’re a wolf?” he suggests, still staring at me.“Uhm,” I utter, trying my best to word my feelings as a wolf. “I’m free? I don’t know, honestly. I never remember much.”I clear my throat and look down at his