《Found by the Lycan King》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Chapter 1


    Being an alpha¡¯s daughter is not all that it¡¯s cracked up to be. Ask me, I know that better than anyone


    else.


    I, Zenovia Archer, was the daughter of Alpha Drake Archer of the nightfall pack. And, technically I


    should receive all the love and care of my father and mother.


    But, I don¡¯t.


    That is because my mother left this world long ago. Being a b rd child of an alpha is no worse than


    being an omega, especially if your own father detests you.


    My father, Alpha Drake, had been in search of his mate for a long time after his first mate rejected him


    cruelly. My mother. used to love him and she was his chosen mate but when he found his fated mate,


    he left my mother without a second. thought.


    Because that gave him the chance to have a legitimate heir.


    My life turned upside down the day my father brought in his current wife and our pack¡¯s Luna, Celeste.


    My mother and I were thrown out of our homes and sent to the packhouse to live with the others.


    Technically, my father had never given her the official title of a luna so she was just a mistress to him


    and me, an illegitimate child.


    My mother tried in vain to talk to my father, to beg him to at least return to her for the sake of his


    daughter, me, but it was as if he suddenly realized I was beneath him.


    My mother died of heartbreak, leaving me alone and an orphan in my own home. Luna Celeste and my


    stepbrother, Sid, left no stone unturned to harass me.


    My father med me for my mother¡¯s death and everybody simply adored the new Luna because she


    was the fated one, the one moon goddess had sent to my dad after years of waiting.


    All of my pack members believed that fated mates were far superior to chosen mates. So, naturally, my


    life went downhill. from the day Luna Celeste set foot in our home¡­in my home.


    ¡°Zenovia, where the hell are you?¡± Luna Celeste called out to me from the alpha¡¯s residence, avish


    bungalow nestled in the woods, a bit far from the hubbub of the packhouse.


    I was not allowed to enter the residence¡­which used to be my home..unless it was for doing chores or


    if Luna Celeste needed something.


    I had epted this life long ago. I knew that the life of a b d child was no sunshine and rainbows but


    the life of a rogue


    was even worse.


    Rogues were hunted by the werewolves and would always end up as s s or dead at the hands of


    alphas.


    Compared to that, I was rtively safe.


    ¡°Y-yes Luna Celeste,¡± I dashed through the small room that was initially the broom cupboard that I


    called my home now. And I did not live alone, mice and c s gave mepany on lonely nights.


    It was quite early in the morning and I had fallen asleepte while gazing out at the stars, talking to


    them as my mother believed we turned to stars after we left the mortal world.


    I found sce in talking to her while stargazing.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± Luna Celeste asked angrily and I stammered, ¡°It is s-six am, Luna Celeste¡±


    ¡°And where are my running shoes and the refreshments? How many times have I asked you to keep


    everything ready before I go on a jog?¡±


    I nodded my head and rushed inside therge gym on the ground floor where Luna, alpha, and my


    stepbrother, Sid trained. sometimes. Luna Celeste had convinced my father that Sid was a kid of her


    and her fated mate who died long back so Sid became the rightful heir to the alpha title of our pack.


    And everybody believed her.


    Sid was opening the door from the inside when I dashed in and the door hit him in the nose.


    I ced my hand on my mouth and apologized profusely. ¡°I am so sorry, Sid. I did not see you.¡±


    I spoke but he only red at me angrily. ¡°You did that purposely, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I tried to walk away from him but he blocked my way and stood smirking at me. I nervously looked at


    the ticking clock on. the wall and tried to speak, ¡°Lu-Luna Celeste is waiting for me, please let me get


    her stuff.¡±


    But Sid only looked at me coldly and held my wrist before pulling me close.


    They say a b d child is as good as an omega. And do you know what is the best quality of an omega?¡±


    He held me close and looked at me with a wicked smile on his face.


    Chapter 1


    ¡°B-but you are¡­we are siblings¡­.¡± I tried to protest as he snaked his hand above my back and tried to


    push it down my jeans.


    ¡°Stepsiblings.¡± He corrected me and added,


    ¡°Come on, you are hot and I know you y hard to get but try to find ways to bump into me,¡± He added,


    undoing the buttons of my jeans.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t do that! I look at you as my brother!!¡±


    I felt horrified and I pushed him away. He stumbled backward and fell on one of the gym equipment


    before I hurriedly got Luna Celeste¡¯s stuff and ran out of the gym.


    ¡°You are going to pay for this b h,¡± He growled as he held a hand to his forehead. A small bump was


    rising on it but I did not stay around him long enough to hear more of his threats.


    I had gotten used to his bullying and cheap acts by now. Wiping away the tears that leaked from my


    eyes, I dashed toward Luna Celeste who was ring at me.


    ¡°I¡­I am sorry for making you wait, Luna Celeste. I tripped and fell,¡± I lied to her. There was no other


    choice. I could not tell her that her son was a total creep.


    She would not believe me and instead, I would be subjected to more punishment.


    ¡°You have gottenzy as you do nothing but sleep and eat like a pig all day,¡± She angrily took the shoes


    from me and put


    them on


    When I stood meekly with my head down, she added, ¡°I am going to have a talk with Alpha Drake


    about cutting your expenses. There is no need to fund your college tuition fees anymore.¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t,¡± I fell to her feet and begged for mercy.


    She gave a smug smile as I desperately pleaded with her to not do it. Though I had to slog and work


    like a full-time maid here, being a daughter of the alpha, even if I was a b rd, allowed me some perks.


    I was not enrolled in prestigious colleges where all of the alpha kids went to study but my school was


    decent. Of course, my being a b d child was a closely guarded secret of our pack.


    My father¡¯s reputation would be tainted if word ever got out that he had a b d child for my mother was


    not his fated mate. And I did not mind it either.


    School allowed me to stay away from most of my pack as nobody went to that school. In fact, most of


    the kids who studied. there were poor kids who had nowhere else to go but wanted to study.


    Though the kids in my packughed at me for studying in the cheapest school, I was happy that I was


    allowed to study and could make friends there who did not know anything about my life back home. As


    most of the kids were kids of omegas or orphans, it was easy to lie about my lineage.


    I wore full sleeves to hide the scars and wounds I would get from the beating and would show up in


    school with a happy face.


    That was the only good thing in my life and I did not want that to be taken away from me.


    ¡°Please Luna Celeste, I will do everything you ask. I will also never show my face again to you if you


    want.¡±


    I pleaded as tears spilled out of my eyes freely. I hated to be so weak, so vulnerable but I had no


    choice. There was nowhere. for me to go.


    My words only made Luna Celeste look at me with contempt. Her gaze hardened as she muttered,


    ¡°That is the best thing you¡¯ve spoken in a long time.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Chapter 2


    Zenovia


    I looked at Luna Celeste in confusion, wondering what she meant by that.


    But she only smirked and replied. ¡°In two days, we might have some guestse over. Ensure that


    everything is sparkling clean and that nothing is out of ce or you know the consequences.¡±


    She warned me before setting off to jog. I let out a sigh of relief when she left and I took deep breaths


    to calm my heart.


    I had dodged the bullet by not letting her think of cutting off my college fees. As long as I was allowed


    that, I was okay to work and clean the packhouse for eternity.


    Now that she was gone, I decided to head back to my room and quickly change and run to my school


    before Sid or his gang of friends found me to bully.


    Thus, I quickly showered in the ice-cold water dribbling from the shower and changed into my clean


    jeans and a loose T-shirt. I only had one hoodie so I wore it anyways.


    Picking up my backpack, I stepped out of the territory before anyone else spotted me. That was the


    perk of being an early


    bird.


    I did not mind the walk to the school as it allowed me to clear my head. The narrow path was filled with


    a lot of trees and I had gotten into the habit of admiring the beauty of nature as I went to school.


    I reached the school gate and found a slew of cars parked outside.


    There were also a lot of men, all wearing ck and having huge and massive body frames. They stood


    in attention outside the gates as they looked around, alert for the slightest noise.


    I wondered what was going on. Our school was in the most isted ce and we never had any


    bigshots pay us a visit.


    So, it attracted quite a bit of attention from all the students and even staff, all of whom were moring


    to get a good look at something.


    I heard somebody yelling angrily and amidst the crowd I saw my friend, Cole, rising in the air. A big


    muscr hand was gripping him tightly by the neck and Cole was iling his hands and legs in the air


    wildly, trying to get out of the vice-like grip.


    My eyes went wide as I ran towards the crowd and tried pushing through the onlookers. Cole was one


    of my good friends. and I did not want to see him hurt.


    When I managed to get in the front I saw a huge man holding him by the throat. The man was literally


    made of nothing but. muscles and had a stone-cold look on his face.


    ¡°If you dare raise your voice again in front of the king I will kill you.¡±


    I ran up to the man and yelled at him, ¡°Leave Cole alone!!¡±


    He ignored me as Cole tried to speak, ¡°II was not talking to the king, beta Matt.¡±


    But that did not satisfy Matt who squeezed Cole¡¯s neck harder. I could see his veins popping out and I


    panicked.


    So I simply took my backpack and swung it blindly, connecting it with Matt¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°Leave him!¡±


    Matt obviously did not budge but he was surprised by my act. I saw him turn to look back and my gaze


    followed his eyes and noticed that he was looking at the dean¡¯s office.


    The windows were closed and the blinds were partially drawn but I saw a pair of eyes looking at the


    scene through the slit in the blinds. Even from afar, I could see that they were golden, the color of fire.


    Those eyes, however, were not looking at Matt but at me. They were fierce and held a predatory gaze


    which made me involuntarily take a step back.


    Some silentmunication, maybe through a mind link seemed to pass between Matt and that


    mysterious guy inside the dean¡¯s office.


    He dropped Cole and looked at the crowd with furrowed eyebrows and everybody just ran away,


    leaving me and Cole on the ground.


    Matt and the other men left too as I helped Cole get up.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I asked Cole as he massaged his neck. He ignored my question and I looked around to find his


    sses.


    They were lying on the ground with his backpack so I picked all his stuff up. When I straightened my


    back, I saw those golden eyes looking at me again.


    Chapter 2


    I felt an uneasy sensation gnawing at me but ignored it and went back to Cole while handing over his


    sses. ¡°Girl, are you insane? You just hit Beta Mateo of the-¡±


    I cut him off.¡± I don¡¯t care if he was the beta of some s id pack. He was hurting you and nobody messes


    with


    my friend.¡±


    He took his backpack from me as I muttered, ¡°Too many people treat us like s t already. We don¡¯t need


    more.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? Did something happen at home?¡± He asked but I shook my head, ¡°Don¡¯t


    bother. Let us get you to the school medic.¡±


    Cole ced his hands on my shoulders and replied, ¡°I am okay Zen. Beta Matt just got confused. It


    was a misunderstanding,


    that¡¯s it.¡±


    I looked back at the retreating figure of the Beta who entered the dean¡¯s office while the rest of them


    stood in attention outside. Just why did every alpha, and beta treat the less privileged like dirt?


    The golden eyes were still on us, I could feel them on my back. They were observing us as I threw


    Cole¡¯s hands over my shoulder and helped him get to the medic.


    I found the stare to be unnerving, not in a creepy sort of way but I imagined that face to be cold and


    calctive as he looked at a small girl helping her skinny friend get up from the ground.


    ¡°Who are these people and why are they here anyway?¡± I asked Cole as we left the school ground and


    entered the building.


    ¡°Not sure, many people say many things. Some say that the lycan king came here to donate some


    money to the school, others said some alpha is looking for able students to work as his guards. I also


    heard some say the Lycan king came looking


    for his mate.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I furrowed my eyebrows.


    ¡°What would make the Lycan kinge to our school of all ces? They would go to the top institutes


    for that.¡±


    I muttered and Cole only shrugged his shoulders. I helped him get to the medic who examined him and


    my gaze flitted to the window agam


    The eyes were still on me and I tried not to give in to the unease that settled in my heart as we walked


    into the medic¡¯s office, cutting off my eye contact with the golden-eyed guy.


    Little did I know he hade looking for one person specifically.me.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Chapter 3


    Cahan


    (Earlier the same day)


    I stood looking outside the ss window of myrge mansion, my hands perched on the windowsill.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± I asked the girl standing behind me. She was wearing an elegant white dress and


    her long flowy hair was


    tied in a loose bun.


    ¡°It does not work like that, my king,¡± she said again


    ¡°Make it work,¡± I replied and I heard the defeated sigh that left her lips.


    She slowly walked in my direction, looking out the window to stand beside me.


    ¡°How much time do I have?¡± I asked and she replied, ¡°I am not sure, a few weeks, maybe just two


    days.¡±


    A mirthless chuckle left my lips. ¡°To think that the lycan king is at the mercy of fate and a seer who is


    not of much help.¡±


    Drusi pursed her lips. I could hear the pain in her voice as she replied, ¡°I cannot help you if you won¡¯t


    help yourself, my king. We all have our fates prewritten. Yours asks you to finally walk the path you


    have been avoiding¡±


    ¡°Fate¡­.destiny your divine Moon Goddess¡­do you even believe in being in charge of your own life?¡±


    I clenched my hands into fists and took a deep breath to control my anger. Drusi was not the cause


    of my pain or misery and there was no useshing at her.


    ¡°Fine, I will go take a look. But I won¡¯t promise anything.¡±


    A relieved smile appeared on Drusi¡¯s face as she bowed her head, ¡°Very well, my king. I hope you do


    not ignore the signs.¡±


    I shook my head and walked out of the mansion. Half an hourter, I was in a car with my beta


    traveling to prominent packs under our rule. Drusi was seated beside me. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°What is it that we are looking for exactly, my king?¡± Mateo, my beta, asked me as he drove the car.


    1 let out a frustrated sigh.


    ¡°An anchor.¡±


    Mateo¡¯s hands almost slipped from the steering wheel and the car swiveled a bit before he regained his


    control of the car.


    ¡°Matt, I don¡¯t want to get killed.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, my king. But what made you finally change your mind?¡±


    I looked outside the car window as we traveled through a less-traveled path. I did not want everybody


    to just mor around us so I asked him to drive through the fairly secluded roads.


    I wanted to use that time to think and clear my head. As much as I hated Drusi¡¯s words, I knew she


    was right.


    She had proved herself time and again. I had to trust her if I did not want everything to turn to dust.


    Even if it meant doing the things I despised and loathed.


    And while we were traveling through the roads I felt an uneasy sensation crawl up my spine. It made


    me restless and I suddenly felt ustrophobic despite the AC being on full st and the air being chilly


    around us.


    I felt as if my heart was being squeezed so I immediately yelled,


    ¡°Stop the car!¡±


    ¡°Here? Why what happened?¡± Matt asked but I ignored him and threw the car door open.


    I almost fell down from the car as I stumbled outside and leaned against the stone wall, gasping for


    breath.


    Drusi and Matt came running after me as I took in deep breaths to calm my nerves.


    What was happening to me? I had never felt such a thing before.


    ¡°We are


    outside


    le a school, perhaps resting a bit should do fine. We have been traveling for five hours.¡±


    I raised my hand, ¡°No, I should be fine,¡± as I got up. But Matt and Drusi insisted that we take a break.


    Thus, Matt stationed everybody outside the gate and a few manned us as I and Drusi went to the


    dean¡¯s office.


    The dean almost toppled his chair when he saw me. He immediately bent his head low and greeted


    me.


    ¡°K-King Cahan, to what do I owe the pleasure of having yourpany? Had you given an advanced


    intimation, we would have arranged a wee party.¡±


    Chapter 3


    ¡°We were just traveling and the king thought of taking a break. We would leave in some time.¡±


    The dean immediately called some people to tend to us but I ignored him. Drusi could look at them


    and keep them off


    The.


    Not wanting to hear their rambling, I walked near the window and saw Matt holding somenky kid by


    the throat.


    I shook my head. Matt had always been a hothead and was fiercely loyal to me. So I believed that the


    kid must have done or said something against me.


    Not that I cared. Everybody knew I was cursed so calling me a cursed king was not actually a far cry


    from the truth. I was cursed to not have a mate on that fateful night which still haunted me to this day.


    I had almost turned around but then I saw a girle out of the crowd and yell angrily at Matt. She had


    a strange aura, one I could not quite decipher.


    She was wearing ordinary clothes and was too skinny and two heads shorter than Matt. But, she put


    her hands on her hips and red at him, asking him to put her friend down.


    It was amusing to see her try to stand against a beta of a lycan king. Not many would do that. While


    Matt ignored her, she took her backpack and swung it straight at Matt.


    ¡°Ouch, that must have hurt,¡± I spoke to my beta through the mind link, teasing him a little.


    He turned to look in my direction and I could feel him roll his eyes, ¡°I should just put this kid and the


    little girl six feet under the ground.¡±


    I snorted as my eyes traveled to her. She was a feisty little one but I could not see her properly.


    Her hood covered most of her face. But when she saw that Matt was relentless, she bent down and


    picked up her backpack again.


    It was then that I saw her face.


    And the moment I saw her there was this odd pain in my chest again, the same feeling of unease I had


    felt earlier. But it was not just pain that I felt upon seeing her.


    There was some relief and an odd sense of familiarity.


    What was wrong? I could not understand. I was seeing this girl for the first time yet why did I feel the


    intense need to keep her close?


    But before Matt would cause any further scene, I ordered, ¡°Let the kid go ande here.¡±


    Matt reluctantly let go of the kid who fell down. The girl scampered to gather his belongings and our


    eyes met again.


    The unease returned with a fierce intensity that made me gasp again. Every nerve in my body told me


    to grab her and never let go of her, to hold her in my embrace, to kiss her sweet lips, and to-


    I s d back and Drusi came rushing to me, her voice filled with concern.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    But my eyes were still on the girl as she walked away with her friend. She looked back in my direction


    once again and my lycan growled in my head, not happy that she was walking away.


    Weird. What was going on?

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Chapter 4


    Zenovia


    For some reason, the dean announced that the lessons were over early and we were all sent to our


    homes.


    I groaned, not wanting to return to the packhouse so soon. It was still 5 hours before school lessons


    ended and I did not want to show up early and be thrown more work or get bullied.


    But there was no choice.


    I let out a sigh and gloomily bid Cole goodbye for the day as we all left for our respective homes. The


    trees and flowers did. not cheer me up as I dreaded going back early and finding Sid waiting for me


    with his gang to punish me for my mistake.


    I sneaked up in my cabin through the side, making my way through the bushes instead of walking in


    through the main


    entrance.


    The wooden floor usually creaked a bit as the cabin was never covered under maintenance so mostly I


    had to beg someone to fix anything broken or try to somehow get it fixed myself.


    1 did not want anybody to know I had arrived home early and wanted to just snuggle up in my bed and


    catch some sleep.


    With that in mind. I tiptoed around the bushes, carefully not to step on any wooden nks when I heard


    my name.


    I froze in my tracks, fearing somebody had seen me and would now be dragged to wash clothes or do


    the dishes but it was my so-called family talking about me.


    They were unaware of my presence so I decided toy low and eavesdrop on their conversation. The


    voice came from my father¡¯s office which was just near the


    gym


    1


    I strained my ears wondering what made them talk about me. So, I went on my knees and literally


    crawled through the shrubs to reach the backside of the office.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I could not see the entire office because the wall and the shrubs blocked half of my view.


    ¡°This cannot be happening. We are not ready,¡± I heard Luna Celeste¡¯s voice.


    My father looked worried as he replied, ¡°I know, he was going to show up after two days but I just got


    the news that he is on the way to our territory.¡±


    The voice of my stepbrother reached me, ¡°What does he want from us?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, son. I wish I knew so that I could have offered him something. Having him on our side


    is crucial to our pack.¡±


    ¡°The rogues are getting pretty loud and violent. They attacked a few neighboring packsst week.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it is that he wants toe here and see how things are going? We are one of the strongest


    packs in this area so naturally, he would want to have a word with you.¡±


    Sid tried to bootlick my father who gave him a warm smile¡­something that he had stopped giving me.


    No matter how hard I worked or did anything for him, I was always ignored and given the cold shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Lycan king is getting restless about the rogue attacks and he has decided to set


    foot in our territory after ages, he wants to take a look at things up close or so I heard.¡±


    Luna Celeste grew worried and she neared my father, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°We need to pacify him before he subjects us to his ire. We already have the threat of the rogues


    looming over us.¡±


    My father held her hand and kissed her knuckles, making her blush. I could only try to not gag at the


    show of affection.


    Sid walked up to my father and said, ¡°How about we give him some gift or tribute? That will bring us in


    his good books.¡±


    My father got up from the chair and turned in the direction of the window. I ducked as he walked near


    the window but thankfully the bushes hid me.


    ¡°But he is the Lycan King, he already has money, fame, se ts everything. What can we possibly give


    him?¡±


    1 peered through the leaves and I saw a knowing look pass between my half-brother and stepmother.


    My heart began beating wildly as I had seen that look too many times. It always meant something bad.


    *The Lycan King has a keen eye for beauty. And Zenovia can pass off as beautiful if we dress her


    appropriately¡±


    My heart dropped to my stomach. I knew Sid disliked me but did not know that he hated me so much.


    Before my father could reply, Luna Celeste hurriedly added, ¡°What a brilliant idea, son! You are going to


    make a great alpha, one day.¡±


    She then walked up to my father and spoke, ¡°Sid is right. Zenoviah is good for nothing and brings


    nothing but shame to the


    Chapter 4


    pack. Get rid of her. That way your secret is safe.¡±


    I almost did not want to hear what my father would say but I still held on to a small ray of hope in my


    heart that maybe my father would not agree to it that maybe he did not hate me that much.


    But the words that left his mouth left me speechless.


    ¡°She is worthless, Celeste. The lycan king will not be pleased with the offer.¡±


    Tears stung in the back of my eyes. I dreaded what else my father would say and wanted to run away


    from this ce.


    All my hopes of him having a change of heart had been crushed already.


    ¡°Come on, Drake. She is beautiful, I have seen young men look at her. We throw her at the Lycan


    King¡¯s feet and he walks away from here without asking too many questions. That way we get rid of


    her, your secret is safe and we also have a good standing in his eyes.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that this will work, Celeste? I don¡¯t want him to look too deeply into our administrative


    decisions or finances. We already owe him alot.¡±


    Celeste batted her eyshes and took my father¡¯s face in her hand. She kissed him and I again tried


    not to puke as she continued,


    ¡°I want the best for our pack¡­for you. Think of this as a deal, darling. The lycan kinges to us and


    we offer him a beautiful s e for free. Would he not be pleased to be offered an alpha¡¯s daughter?


    Nobody knows she is a b d. You could just say your first fated mate died and then you found me. So he


    will be more than happy to receive her as an offering.¡±


    Celeste continued to convince my father and those words felt like hot iron was being poured into my


    ears. She was talking about me as if I was some lifeless object to offer to a beast.


    The lycan king was known to be fierce, ruthless, and very c g. And that he was cursed to not have a


    mate. I did not want to be stuck with someone who did not love me but would just use me for his needs.


    I had been living with her for so many years. How could she not have even an ounce of sympathy for


    me?


    Had she already not gotten her revenge after my mom¡¯s death and throwing me out of my own house?


    While I tried to calm my raging heart, she pressed on. ¡°Can you think of a better solution, Drake?¡±


    Before my father could say a word, Sid chimed in.


    ¡°I thought I should keep this hidden but I don¡¯t think I can hide it anymore. Zenovia¡­she she has been


    trying hard to get into my pants.


    ¡°What?¡± My father turned to look at him with an aghast face. I pretty much had the same reaction and I


    could not believe


    my ears.


    Celeste ran towards Sid and held him close as he continued,


    ¡°Just today morning when mom asked her to get her shoes, Zenovia purposely ran into me and kissed


    me forcibly. When I pushed her away saying that I think of her as a sister, she said that we are step-


    siblings so there is nothing wrong. When I still said no, she hurled a dumbbell at me.¡±


    Celeste looked at him with horrified eyes and caressed his forehead, ¡°Oh my G d, I cannot believe this,


    Sid. Why didn¡¯t you tell us this before?¡±


    Sid hung his head low, ¡°I did not want Father to think I was painting her in a bad light. I wanted to give


    her another chance but every time she finds me alone¡­.she pushes herself upon me and says that


    she would tell everybody how I r*ped her if I don¡¯t agree.¡±


    What???

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Chapter 5


    Zenovia


    My eyes were only on my father, waiting to hear him p Sid but he only had a disgusted look on his


    face.


    Celeste added more fuel to the fire, ¡°He is right. See this, Drake. Do you see that welt on his forehead?


    Your b d daughter is a b h in heat. She has no decency or honor.¡±


    I wanted to go to my father and exin how Sid was the one who was lying but the words he said next


    made me freeze in my


    tracks.


    ¡°To think that my blood runs in her veins¡­I cannot believe 1 birthed something so foul and petty. I


    should have never chosen a mate but waited for you, Celeste. I feel so ashamed of myself.¡±


    Luna Celeste and Sid exchanged a meaningful look but she embraced my father and patted his back,


    ¡°It is okay, you have us now. Your real family.¡±


    To say that I was stunned was an understatement. My life had just hit a new low.


    I heard my father utter those words and it was as if my heart had stopped beating. My world was slowly


    beginning to crumble and my mind went nk.


    I should have run away, I should have shut my ears for the words that would fall on my cars were no


    less than des cutting into my heart, twisting it until everyst drop of blood had been wrung out.


    But somehow my feet were frozen.


    My father turned his back to me and was facing Celeste and Sid. I put a hand on my mouth to stop my


    whimpering from reaching their ears.


    The man who was supposed to love me, the father who should have protected me at all costs added


    with contempt, ¡°Celeste. Get rid of her, what the lycan king does with her is none of my business. She


    is dead to me.¡±


    And just like that my world finally came crashing down, leaving me shocked and breathless.


    I sat frozen on the ground, holding my knees close as I digested the words my ears had heard. They


    kept ying in my head over and over until I could not take it anymore.


    I wanted to cry, and I wanted to howl in pain but that was a luxury I could not afford. Not right now.


    So, I held back my tears and slowly crawled toward my cabin.


    I lost my father today. I lost my family or whatever was left of it today.


    There was no point in living in this pack anymore. I would cry and break down when I was away from


    them. Now, I only wanted to get away from these people.


    I paid attention that no one was around and suddenly I felt d that the dean had asked us to leave


    early. I would not have heard the conversation earlier and I would have just wasted my days here,


    trying to please my father and harbor a false hope that one day he would love me back just like before.


    That was never going to happen. He had made it pretty clear.


    Thus, I scanned the perimeter and saw that there was nobody around in the vicinity.


    So I sneaked up to my cabin and quickly threw my clothes in the backpack which were not many, to


    begin with.


    Next, I looked around and found a small iron rod and pushed the loose floorboard up where I had


    stashed all the money I could save over the years.


    It was not much but it would allow me to afford a few days of food or rent. I recalled Sid talking about


    the human settlement not far from our territory and how human girls would be at the nightclub he


    frequented to..


    I knew the name of the club and the rough direction to reach it so I hoped to enter the human city and


    blend in with the crowd.


    Maybe. 1 could find a job as a babysitter or waitress and start a new life. After stashing all my


    essentials in the bag, I tightly tied my shoces, pulled the cap of my hoodie up my head, and then


    slowly sneaked outside.


    I had not even made it to the outer fence of our backyard when I heard Sid call out my name.


    ¡°Rat, where are you going?¡±


    I did not turn around and did not wait for him to curse me more. I knew if I walked back he would haveText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    me locked up in the cabin.


    So. I ran outside and headed straight into the woods. I heard him angrily yelling my name and soon he


    had gathered everybody.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her escape!!¡± Sid yelled and most men ran in the direction of the forest he had pointed at.


    Chapter 6


    atorpel throught me and s d back tour there was no use sogging So. Fran as fast as my legs could


    carry m*, Ignoring de thorny vines, Inches, and loan hes that keja serate fing, at my skin


    ment


    uday


    My heart was log


    and closer, custong


    Zenovia, we pus


    better


    my feet,


    ut then wolves and then angry bowds roaring the


    ugh the air, making me feel as


    quinted through the dense forest Themed of my pursuers bowds and growls was getting closer


    mers and borders in my poth


    ¡°We wan


    The ground, scraping my knees and hands on the rough forest floor. I scrambled to


    t of adrenaline as le


    at I was not stopping, il taunter


    linde rar His voice was dripping with sarcasm. ¡°You can¡¯t outrun ut


    forrver


    ignored t


    taunt, focusing


    wible


    the trees and rocks in my path as I tried to put as much distance between myself and my


    Nuddenly, I heard a growl behind me and spun around to see one of the werewolves lunging toward


    me. I screamed, ducking To the side the wolf¡¯s jaws snapped shut inches from my face.


    ¡°Zenovial¡± Sid¡¯s voice boomed through the forest ¡°Don¡¯t make this harder than it needs to bet


    I knew that I


    uning forever. I needed to find a way to outsmart the wolves, or else they would catch me.


    Ispotted at all cave opening up ahead and darted towards it, hoping to lose the wolves in its twisting


    passages.


    As I entered the cave, I heard the wolves¡¯ growls echoing behind ine. I could feel their hot breath on the


    back of my neck, causing me to shudder with fear.


    ¡°Where are you, little 12¡± Sid cackled, ¡°We can smell your fear¡±


    I pressed myself against the wall of the cave, trying to make myself as small and inconspicuous as


    possible. I could hear the wolves getting closer and closer, their ws scraping against the stone floor.


    Just as I thought that all was lost, I saw a glint of light up ahead. I sprinted towards it, hoping that it was


    the way out of the


    Cave


    I blindly threw myself outside, hoping to find a way toward the city but I mmed into something and


    fell backward,nding on my butt before my head almost crashed upon the tarmac.


    Suddenly my eyesight grew dizzy and I saw stars in front of my eyes.


    My brain was telling me to get up, to run away, and that Sid and the others were still after me. But my


    head swam and I could not see straight.


    I suddenly felt lightheaded and I held my head as a bolt of pain shot up my abdomen and traveled


    through my chest. My shoulder had collided with something hard and I felt that I had dislocated it.


    Blood was trickling down my head and nose.


    I tried to look up and could only faintly make out the appearance of some car that I had mmed into.


    I groaned in pain as I heard the hurried footsteps of somebody stepping out of the car and running


    towards me.


    A tall man rushed towards me and bent on his knees as he looked at me with concern. He was wearing


    shades and was dressed in an immacte suit.


    ¡°Hey, can you hear me?¡± He asked as he reached for my face and gently pped it.


    I wanted to talk to him, wanted to convey that I was being pursued and people were after my life but


    words refused toe


    out


    ¡°Ok, I will lift you up now, don¡¯t worry, you are going to be fine.¡± He said and picked me up gingerly from


    the ground.


    When he bent to pick me up, his shades slid off his nose and I saw a pair of bright golden eyes looking


    at me. The same eyes that had stared at me back at school.


    The Lycan King, Cahan Skalbeck, was holding me in his arms.


    What was he doing here? Had hee looking for me and Cole to punish us for talking back and


    hitting his beta?


    But then why did his face look worried about me?


    Thest thing I remembered was being carried by an unknown stranger before my vision tunneled and


    I passed out from the panic and exhaustion.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Chapter 6


    Cahan


    (start of shback)


    I was on my knees, waiting for judgment to be delivered. At this point, I did not care.


    I had lost everything that I ever held dear to me. I was sick and tired of fighting.


    I sat on the ground with my head bent low, a hooded figure hovering in the air in front of me. The figure,


    a fierce and c g looking woman looked down at me as she raised her staff.


    I did not even bother looking at her, my eyes were fixated on the woman lying in front of me.


    I held her close and took her hands in mine.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t go.¡±


    She only gave me a sad smile as her hands cupped my cheek, ¡°You are strong. You know that.¡±


    Tears stung at the back of my eyes. I could see the life being drained out of her body as tendrils of


    wisp-like threads rose up from her body, flowing towards the point of the staff held by the cloaked


    woman.


    ¡°I need you, I cried as I felt her hand go limp in mine.


    (end of shback)


    ¡°Noooo.¡± I cried and reached for empty air as a heard a familiar voice call out to me.


    ¡°Cahan, are you okay?¡± it was as if I had been pushed back to the present again.


    Drusi looked at me worriedly and held my hand. ¡°You saw it again?¡± She asked another question, but


    I guess she knew based on the look on my face that it indeed was the same memory that kept haunting


    me wherever I went.


    It had been years since the incident had urred. 1 had been just a young boy, naive and


    inexperienced. My wounds and scars had already healed, but the pain was as raw and real as it could


    get.


    ¡°I have been urging you to start looking for-¡± Drusi started again, but before I could reply the car gave


    a jerk. It was followed by a scream and a thud.


    Startled, we all got out of the car and I saw a girl lying on the road. She had probably gotten hit by our


    car.


    ¡°S t, Matteo, where were you looking?¡± I asked as I ran towards the girl.


    Matteo or Matt, my beta, nervously replied as he rushed outside with me, ¡°I swear she literally


    appeared out of nowhere and legit jumped in front of the car.¡±


    I ignored Matt and squatted down to look at the girl. Her hair hid most of her face so I parted them and


    to my shock, I saw the same girl who I had seen arguing with Matt earlier.


    I tried talking to her and helping her get up but she did not seem in the condition to talk. She was


    bleeding a little and looked at me with a mixture of apprehension and fear.


    Was she afraid of me?


    Ignoring the terror in her eyes, I picked her up and got her into our car. Fate had made our paths cross


    again, and my Lycan felt relieved when I held her close..


    ¡°Drive us to the nearest hospital,¡± I yelled at Matt, who only nodded his head and drove to the nearest


    pack hospital.


    1 again gingerly picked the girl in my arms as the nurses came out with a stretcher. They took her


    inside as I asked about the doctor and went straight to him.


    He was a short, middle-aged man with sandy hair and baggy eyes.


    ¡°Heal her and make sure she stays alive,¡± I thundered. The doctor looked at me once and nodded


    meekly before running to the operation theatre.


    ¡°Matt, you are going to stay here and keep me updated about her health. I am going to have a talk with


    the alpha here.¡±


    Matt looked at me as if I had sprouted another head, ¡°Why me? Who will drive the car?¡±


    I gave him a look, and he immediately fell quiet. ¡°Because you all brought us here and wasted our time.


    And if anything happens to her, it is on you.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°No ifs and buts. Stay here and I will return after meeting the alpha shortly. Drusi,e with me.¡±


    I turned around, leaving Matt as the girl¡¯s guardian. My beta was not happy with my decision, but it was


    not as if he could do anything.


    Chapter 6


    I took the keys from him and headed to the house of Drake Archer, the alpha of the nightfall pack.


    Twenty minutester, we were in his office and the alpha¡¯s wife and son were staring at me as if I was a


    goldmine.


    ¡°G-Good evening King, wee to our humble abode,¡± Alpha Drake said as he gave me a bow.


    ¡°I want to know what is going on here. The rogue attacks are the highest in this area. Aren¡¯t you the


    strongest alpha here? Why the issue has not been addressed yet?¡±


    I got straight to the point. Though while I was away from the girl, my mind was somehow still worried


    about her.


    I felt bad that she had been hit by my beta and was in the hospital because we were too engrossed in


    our issues.


    ¡°P-please do not worry, your majesty. We have forged alliances with the neighboring packs and I also


    have asked for support from packs in the east. The rogue menace will be taken care of soon.¡±


    ¡°If I had toe here all the way from my home, I believe you are failing at your job. This is yourst


    warning. If you do not nullify the threat soon, I will have to make some other alpha in charge here.¡±


    Upon hearing my words, the alpha went to his knees and begged me.


    ¡°No, your majesty, I will do as you ask. I will have an emergency meeting with the other alphas today


    itself.¡±


    His wife, who had been silent all this time, spoke in an overly sweet voice, ¡°I apologize on behalf of my


    husband, your majesty. He has not been in his element today ever since¡­¡±


    She began, but Drake raised his hand, asking her to stop. ¡°The alpha does not have to know of our


    internal issues, Celeste.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that. Something was fishy here.


    ¡°What issues? Have rogues infiltrated your pack? Is that why we have the situation out of control


    here?¡±


    Celeste bit her lower lip and began. ¡°Well, it is more about alpha Drake¡¯s daughter from his previous


    mate, who died of ill health. My son, Sid, saw her with the rogues recently and believes she has been


    giving them insider information, but since we think of her as a daughter, we have no idea how to deal


    with the situation.¡±


    Celeste began sobbing and her mate got up from the floor to hold her close. Their son, Sid, too joined


    them as they stood together.


    Sid gave a defeated sigh. ¡°After all the love and care that we gave her, this is what she has done


    brought shame upon the name of our family and put everybody¡¯s life at risk.¡±


    ¡°Where is she? Why have you not punished her for her crimes already?¡± I asked. I did not like


    backstabbers and loathed them to the core.


    Celeste broke into a fresh bout of tears. ¡°We were going to offer her to you as a gift. We wanted her to


    live like a princess in avish castle. But we learned only now that she prefers those filthy rogues.¡±


    Sid ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I saw her with her rogue boyfriend. We tried to catch them, but they


    fled and we lost them. in the woods.¡±


    My eyes went to Drusi, who was already looking at them with pity. I was going to reprimand them for


    their poor handling. of the situation, but she had a sympathetic look on her face.


    She neared me and spoke, ¡°They are troubled, King. Let us leave and let them handle the situation on


    their own. It is a matter of family.¡±


    ¡°I hate it when people you trust break it. Such people need to be punished,¡± I muttered angrily.


    Drusi tried to calm ne down. ¡°Yes, but she is already a rogue now. They will not ept her in this


    pack. And we are already hunting rogues We have found the root cause of our problem already.


    Sooner orter, we will find her and then. you can deliver justice.¡±


    Celeste seented to have heard Drusi¡¯s words for she immediately fell to her knees, startling my


    friend.


    ¡°Bless you, dear girl. May the Moon Goddess soon give you a handsome mate.¡±


    Drusi¡¯s expression stiffened, but she only helped the woman get up and spoke in a caring voice, ¡°We


    understand that betrayal of our own is hard on you. I will suggest the King to be lenient with you. And if


    you need more support or time, all you need to do is just ask


    ¡°When I find her and I know that I will, I am going to take her. Consider that I have already epted


    your gift. I will punish her in a way I deem fit.¡±


    Iclenched my fists as the alpha thanked us profusely and I got up from the chair, signaling that I was


    done with the discussion.


    And that is when I received a mind link from my beta, who said the words I had been wanting to hear.


    ¡°King Cahan, she is


    awakeContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Chapter 7


    I found myself on a hospital bed covered in bandages. My head felt heavy, and so did every part of my


    body.


    1 looked around and realized that it was some unfamiliar hospital. I tried getting up from the bed but


    could not.


    My eyes wanted to rest and so did my body, but I did not want to stay here. I wanted to go to the


    human settlement soon enough. Either the Lycan king of Sid would find me, and then I would be


    doomed.


    So, I gritted my teeth and pulled one of the tubes attac


    to my hand away.


    ¡°I would not do that if I were you,¡± a voice spoke to me as I looked at the door. A woman in her thirties


    parted the curtain with her head and poked her head in.


    ¡°About time you got up, sweetie,¡± she said and entered the room. It was nothing fancy, simple white


    walls and almost no furniture except a few machines that were beeping, a small cupboard by the door


    that hopefully led to the bathroom and pale white curtains.


    My head felt dizzy, and I grabbed it between my hands, tugging at my hair.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± I asked, and she replied, ¡°At the Nightfall pack hospital. You were brought in injured and


    bleeding by the Lycan King himself.¡±


    I blinked.


    Suddenly, the events of the day came rushing back to me. I recalled everything that had happened with


    vivid rity, the way my step family had turned my father against me, the way Sid had chased me


    through the forest like a predator and the way my father had agreed to get rid of me as if I meant


    nothing to him.


    But my thoughts flitted back to the golden eyed Lycan king and how he had held my gaze through the


    blinds back in the school.


    Why had he looked at me like that? A small shiver ran through my body when I recalled how I had


    mmed against his car and he had carried me into his embrace.


    His hands felt like iron rods to me, reinforced with concrete, but somehow he had not crushed my little


    frame and carried me safely.


    I shook my head. Why was I reying that incident in my head?


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The nurse checked the machines all around me and scribbled something on her notepad..


    ¡°How soon can I leave?¡± I asked, and she ignored me while still scribbling on the paper. Feeling


    annoyed, I spoke again. ¡°I want to go.¡±


    She did not look at me but continued, ¡°You have dislocated your shoulder, you have a few bones


    fractured and are pretty much torn and shredded like cheese through a grater. And I also noticed a lot


    of scars and injuries on your body that did not. stem from this particr ident.¡±


    I looked down at myself. She was talking about the numerous scratches and wounds I might have


    received while running


    from Sid.


    ¡°I¡­..I don¡¯t remember¡± I lied. I did not have the strength to tell details of my life to a random stranger.


    ¡°I am not talking about those recent scratches and you know that.¡±


    I bit my lip nervously, trying to not recall my horrifying past. Luna Celeste would torture me and punish


    me for the silliest of reasons, like if her tea had gone too cold or if the bread in the sandwich was limp.


    My body was covered in so many wounds that it took an awful lot of time to heal.


    I tried to pull the sleeves of the gown they had put on me and muttered, ¡°I just want to leave,¡± I


    repeated again.


    The nurse looked at me pointedly. ¡°If you think you can run, let me tell you this hospital is in the middle


    of nowhere. So, if you do not want to return here with more injuries, I would advise you to stay put¡­¡±


    She spoke and then muttered a word under her breath, ¡°Traitor¡­¡±


    Her voice had lowered, but not so much, and I had heard her call me a traitor. Not that she had taken


    any real effort to hide


    it.


    Wait.


    Why was she calling me that?


    At that same time, the curtains parted and the Lycan King stepped in. He was wearing casual clothes,


    jeans and a white button down. His eyes met mine and held my gaze as he took a few steps forward.


    Chapter 7


    I realized the way I had been sitting wearing nothing except the hospital gown that was way too short


    for me. It had ridden -up my thighs, so I quickly pulled my legs close and smoothed the dress, trying to


    pull it down my legs.


    He noticed my unease and looked at the nurse. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°King Cahan, she will take some time to heal but she will be up and running in a few weeks¡­¡± then


    she looked pointedly at me, ¡°That is if she does not try to run away or interfere in the healing¡­¡±


    A few weeks? My eyes went wide. And just how had she known I wanted to run away? Was my


    intention and bodynguage


    that clear?


    I was beginning to hate the nurse already.


    Cahan looked at me again, and his hand seemed to go to his chest. A slight wince appeared on his


    face, but he hid it quickly.


    Was he ill too? I shook my head.


    What happened to him was none of my concern. Had he not bumped his car into me, I would not be


    here. I tore my gaze away from his face and looked at the nurse, hopefully for answers.


    ¡°Since you do not want me around, I will take your leave and not let you waste your time on me.¡±


    Somehow, it felt like she was trying to keep me in this wretched hospital. I hurriedly tried to get down


    from the bed to show that I was fine, but the moment I stepped down, a wave of dizziness hit me.


    I would have crashed into the wall if not for a strong pair of hands snaking around my waist and


    breaking my fall.


    I suddenly felt short of breath and everything looked blurry to me. But despite that, my body did this


    weird thing when he touched me.


    I felt small tingles of spark when his hands wrapped themselves around my waist. There was only the


    flimsy material of the gown between his hands and my skin and I suddenly felt aware of how my little


    frame fit in perfectly in his hands, of his corded muscles and ripped physique that stood like a barrier


    between me and the floor.


    And I hated what I was feeling.


    Lycans, werewolves all were the same. They used you and then discarded you. And he was the King of


    those wretched beasts. How would he be any different?


    So I began to thrash around, trying to get away from him. But his hold on me was firm. And even more


    tingles went up my spine when he tightened his grip and my body was pressed against his own.


    Not wanting to give in to what my body was feeling. I sharled at him. ¡°Let me go¡± and began trying to


    w at his hands. However, he only looked at me as if I was some feral cat.


    King Cahan pinned me to the wall, his strong and muscr arms holding me in ce as he looked


    me in the eye. ¡°I like your fighter spirit. But even the best warriors need to rest.¡±


    Had he justplimented me?


    His voice was deep and resonant, and every inch of his being exuded confidence. My throat suddenly


    felt dry and I could not get a word out because I feared I would sound like a bleating goat.


    There was a reason he was called the lycan King. His gaze was mesmerizing, and his golden eyes


    shone in the afternoon light that filtered in through the window, making them shine. But his touch was


    unlike anything I had ever experienced before.


    Not that I had any experience in that department to begin with. And the scent of his cologne was


    making me giddy.


    I was too enraptured by his allure to react, or specifically, the way his body was pressed against mine.


    There was a weird. fluttering in my stomach and my brain was suddenlying up with scandalous


    thoughts involving him.


    However, he took myck of speech as hesitation, and continued,


    ¡°You have to get strong first. Once you are healed, you are free to go. And you are not healing¡­..¡±


    He trailed off and looked down at me, his eyes slowly traveling down from my face to the rest of my not


    so plump body.


    It was unnerving to be scrutinized by his gaze and my brain reminded me once more that I was wearing


    nothing except the short hospital gown.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Chapter 8


    Zenovia


    The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows that danced on the walls. The sterile smell of antiseptic


    hung in the air, mingling with a faint scent of cologne.


    1 stood there, my heart pounding in my chest, as his lips hovered just inches from mine. The tension


    between us was palpable, and the anticipation electrified the atmosphere.


    1 gulped nervously, and I felt my nipples strain against the flimsy fabric, painfully aware of how I was


    caged between him. and the wall and how his lips were hovering above mine.


    I winced a little, and he immediately loosened his hold, but he did not let go of mepletely. And just


    why did my body not like him stepping away a little?


    His breath fanned my face, making goosebumps p le on my arms as I focused on the line he had


    spoken, disguised as a question. It was then that the reality of my identity hit me again.


    ¡°I have not awakened my wolf yet.¡±


    1 answered in a low voice and then added, ¡°I am ate bloomer¡±


    I was not sure why I was justifying that to him, but the words slipped out of my mouth before I could


    take them back.


    Maybe after being called a warrior. I did not want to let him feel that I was a weakling. And nor did I


    want him to feel that I was already imagining how his hands would feel on my bare skin, without the


    gown separating us.


    I hated myself for thinking this way. No, I hated him for making me think this way.


    ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± He said and ignored my wing and hissing while looking into my eyes.


    I expected to see that cold, calctive gaze being directed at me. Whenever somebody learned I was


    wolfless, I would be looked at as if I was dirt.


    Being wolfless in a world ruled by werewolves that had a Lycan king was simr to having no hands or


    legs in the human world.


    Wolfless people were even considered lower than rogues, so I waited for him to pull back, as if being


    close to me would give him some infectious disease.


    But, surprisingly, he did not move an inch. He was still standing close, painfully close, our bodies


    touching from head to toe, or rather his big, massive body frame, caging me like a deer trapped in a


    lion¡¯s mouth.


    The only difference was that the lion had not taken a bite¡­yet.


    I stopped thrashing mostly because I felt weak after having stayed unconscious, for Goddess knew


    how long not because of what his touch was doing to me.


    At least, that is what I told myself.


    ¡°You hit me with your car. You are the reason I am here, so stop acting as if you care,¡± I snapped at


    him, more to remind myself of the fact and stop my traitorous body from messing with my brain.


    I had to get a grip over myself and not stare at him with puppy eyes, looking at him as if he was my


    savior who hade to


    rescue me.


    He was a handsome prince, and currently I was in distress, but my life was no fairytale.


    ¡°You talk a lot, don¡¯t you? Not sure why the doctor or nurse thought you were weak and timid.¡±


    I pounced at those words. ¡°I am neither¡± though I could not help but feel just a little bit proud when he


    said that.


    The Lycan King thought I was a warrior¡­that I was not weak or timid.


    He grinned, and his little smile made my heart s p a beat. He looked even more gorgeous when he


    grinned and I saw at dimple appear on his cheek. Up close, I could see the way his eyes flicked,


    searching my face and trying to determine what


    to do with me.


    Cahan¡¯s face was truly a sight to behold. The golden eyes gave him a mesmerizing aura, but his


    smile was radiant and his deep, throaty chuckle made my knees wobble.


    Not to forget his voice that was stirring something inside me.


    All of this was bing too much for me to process.


    I mustered up the courage to break the silence, my voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Want to see?¡± I


    challenged, my voice quivering with a mix of fear and excitement. ¡°Just loosen your hold over me, and I


    will show you.¡±


    He gazed into my eyes, his dark irises sparkling with curiosity. The air c d with a nervous energy, and I


    could feel the heat radiating from his body. His breath mingled with mine, and my erratic breathing


    betrayed my anticipation.


    16.87


    Chapter 8


    What do you mean?¡± he asked, his voice slow and deliberate, each word causing my thoughts to s r


    like leaves in the wind.


    I took a deep breath, my chest heaving with the weight of my emotions. ¡°Show me what?¡± he persisted,


    his voice a tantalizing whisper that sent shivers down my spine.


    ¡°How weak and timid I am.¡± I confessed, my voice trembling with vulnerability. The words hung in the


    air, the admission hanging between us like a delicate thread.


    He pondered my words for a moment, his gaze piercing into my soul. ¡°So if I let you go,¡± he mused,


    ¡°and you cannot manage to run towards the door without limping, do you promise to do as I ask?¡±


    The realization of the challenge hit me like a lightning bolt, and 1 blurted out a hasty response before


    fullyprehending. the consequences. ¡°Yes,¡± 1 eximed, the word slipping from my lips before I


    could fully register the weight of the agreement I had just made.


    King Cahan slowly stepped away from me, releasing his grip on my arms. I red at him, the


    defiance in my eyes a stark contrast to the vulnerability I had just revealed.


    He nonchntly pushed his hands into his pockets, sauntering over to the nearby hospital bed and


    leaning on its metal. frame. His left hand rested on the cold surface, a casual yetmanding posture.


    He motioned for me to walk, his eyes fixed on me, challenging me to prove my im. I rubbed my


    wrists, the memory of his grasp still lingering, and turned my gaze towards the door. It stood there, a


    mere ten feet away, beckoning me with the promise of freedom.


    As I stared at the door, determination welled up within me. I had made a promise, and now it was time


    to prove my strength. With a deep breath, I took my first step, my legs feeling heavy beneath me.


    The pain shot through my limbs, radiating from every muscle, as I tried to maintain a steady gait. My


    steps faltered, and I winced, gritting my teeth to suppress the pain. Each movement sent a jolt of agony


    up my legs, reminding me of my own. limitations.


    I nced over at King Cahan, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that mirrored the fiery


    determination burning within. me. He remained silent, watching me struggle with an inscrutable


    expression.


    I fought against the pain, pushing myself forward. But with each step, my legs trembled, threatening to


    give way beneath me. I could feel my strength waning, the sharp ache pulsating through my body.


    Despite the agony. I refused to give up. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to continue, my eyes


    locked on the door. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, mingling with the traces of fear and


    determination.


    But as I reached the halfway point, my legs betrayed me. A sharp pain surged through my left leg,


    causing it to buckle. beneath me. I stumbled, my hands reaching out instinctively to grab hold of


    something for support. My fingers grasped at thin air, finding no sce in their search for stability.


    I fell to my knees; the impact sending another wave of pain through my body. My breath came in


    ragged gasps, and tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I nced up at King Cahan,


    humiliation burning in my cheeks.


    His expression remained stoic, his gaze unwavering. He nodded, as if confirming something to himself,


    and stepped away from the hospital bed.


    Walking over to me, he extended a hand, a mix of sympathy and dominance in his touch. I reluctantly


    epted his support, allowing him to help me rise to my feet. The pain still throbbed through my body,


    but his presence offered a faint sense of


    comfort.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve learnt a lesson for now,¡± he said softly, his voice devoid of any judgement.


    I lowered my gaze, feeling the weight of his words. I had underestimated the challenge, overestimating


    my own abilities. But


    I wasn¡¯t ready to give up just yet. With a determined glimmer in my eyes, I met his gaze.


    ¡°I may have stumbled. I admitted, my voice filled with defiance, ¡°but I¡¯m not done fighting.¡±


    A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips, a mix of admiration and amusement. ¡°Good,¡± he replied,


    his tone softening. ¡°Because the real test is just beginning.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Chapter 9


    Zenovia


    His hand was still holding mine, and I was fighting the pain and the tears in addition to the urge of not


    dissolving like a puddle in his arms.


    King Cahan pushed my hands above my head and held them with one hand while the other traveled


    down to prop my chin up.


    I shivered at the touch as he forced me to look in the eye.


    ¡°Yes, you are neither weak nor timid. You are a feral, rogue pup. A pup I found in the wild when it


    identally stumbled


    across me.¡±


    I hissed. ¡°I am no pup nor am I feral¡±


    I was awarded with another chuckle as he brought his face near and our noses almost touched.


    ¡°Yes, you area wild, wild pup. Or let us say kitten.¡±


    Ok now, he was just mocking me.


    I should have opened my mouth to yell at him, but I was too busy trying to not let my gaze dip down his


    face.


    His shirt was askew, and it was just enough to give me a tantalizing nce of his perfecily sculpted


    body..


    ¡°And do you know what I do with them?¡±


    Oh dear. His voice was doing odd things to me, things I had never imagined.


    He kept looking me in the eye, his hand resting on my wrists, pinned above my head and his lips


    merely a hair¡¯s breadth from mine.


    I whimpered as I looked into those golden orbs that seemed to have lit up like fire. I had momentarily


    lost all other rational thoughts and all my focus was on his lips and how it would feel to kiss him.


    His eyes dipped down to mine as if he had read my thoughts and answered his question,


    ¡°I tame them¡±


    I gave a mirthless chuckle, ¡°You can keep dreaming that-¡±


    I had begun, but the words were cut off because he simply fulfilled my fantasy as his lips came


    crashing down on mine.


    My heart raced wildly as Cahan¡¯s strong grip pushed me against the cold, unyielding wall. I could feel


    the hardness of the concrete against my back, a stark contrast to the warmth emanating from his body.


    His piercing gaze locked onto mine, filled with a potent mix of desire and determination that sent a jolt


    of anticipation through my veins.


    In that moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only Cahan and me in our own intimate


    bubble.


    I could hardly breathe as his hold on my wrist tightened, a possessiveness tinged with a gentle touch.


    Every nerve in my body came alive under his fingertips, stirring a hunger that I had long suppressed.


    Cahan¡¯s head descended slowly, his warm breath teasing my earlobe and electrifying my senses. A


    shiver cascaded down my spine as his lips gently grazed my jawline, leaving behind a trail of delicate


    kisses.


    His soft, full lips were perfect and when they met mine, stars exploded behind my eyes. I was a hot


    mess the instant his lips.


    touched mine.


    Each touch felt like a tender caress, promising a passion that threatened to consume us both. My


    heartbeat quickened, mirroring the rhythm of his own.


    My knees turned wobbly and my body was ignoring all the warning signals my brain was trying to send


    to it.


    I should have thrashed harder, pushed him away, but it was as if my body had grown a mind of its own.


    When our lips met, a surge of electricity surged through my entire being. The kiss was intense, a


    collision of longing and desire that left me breathless. Cahan¡¯s lips moved with a ferocity that set my


    body aze, his tongue exploring the depths of my mouth, igniting a fire that burned deep within me.


    Instinctively, my hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, yearning for more. Our bodies melded


    together, fitting perfectly as if we were meant to be intertwined in this moment. The world around us


    faded into insignificance as we lost. ourselves in the whirlwind of emotions and sensations.


    Or atleast, that was what happened to me.


    Time lost all meaning as the kiss deepened, our bodies pressed tightly against each other. I was


    overwhelmed by the taste of him, the sensation of his body against mine, and the intoxicating scent


    that enveloped us.


    Chapter 9


    The feel of his lips on mine was heavenly. It could be because I had never kissed anyone, nor ever


    imagined anybody, to ever


    want to kiss me.


    And here was the most handsome man of the entire kingdom, the ruthless yet oddly charming Lycan


    king himself. devouring me whole.


    1 tried again in vain to thrash against him, but his lips were glued to mine and slowly my hands stopped


    trying to push him away. They had never wanted to do that either way.


    And against my brain¡¯s better judgement, they snaked up his broad back and pulled him closer to


    myself. Just what was wrong with me?


    The way his lips opened mine made all the rational thoughts fly out of the window. My brain, too,


    followed suit and all my thoughts, all my feelings, were concentrated on his expert lips as they teased


    mine.


    The kiss was soft at first, gentle and sweet, but when I did not open up, he forced my lips open.


    And I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy that.


    Every nerve in my body was tingling, and it was as if he was not just kissing my lips, but my entire body


    at once.


    I whimpered again as his lips opened mine and my hands continued roaming over his broad back,


    wanting more of him. His touch was already addictive, but the way he kissed me was beyond my


    wildest imaginations.


    I whimpered and moaned as his hands traveled downwards toward my legs. A wave of desire rippled


    through me as he pushed me up, his hands holding my thigh and bringing me to eye level. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    His rough, calloused hands ignited sparks as they touched my bare skin and I wanted more of this,


    more of him.


    So instead of pushing him away, my lips opened up to give him more ess. His other hand went


    behind my head and yed with my hair, tugging at them as my eyes fluttered shut.


    I was dissolving in a puddle as his lips caressed me, sending shivers up and down my spine. I had lost


    the battle against him. long ago and I was not even sure when I joined him in the efforts to let him do


    what he wanted.


    So far, I had not allowed anybody to touch me, much less kiss me, but with him, everything I had lived


    by seemed to change.


    I was a virgin and, except for the lustful gazes men had thrown at me, that told me how they thought I


    was good for nothing except a breeder, had made me wary of every man¡¯s touch.


    However, Cahan was doing nothing like that. He was kissing me as if he too craved me, as if he too


    wanted me.


    And that feeling was phenomenal. I was not sure if I was reading it right, but he could have just any girl


    he wanted, so why would he even waste his time toying with me?


    His tongue flicked over my teeth and shed with my tongue that gave up the moment he demanded


    submission. His hands gently tugged my head backward, and I let him as his lips left mine and began


    leaving a trail of hot, fiery kisses downwards.


    There was nothing subtle about it. Every kiss knotted my stomach and then a wave of euphoria


    crashed upon me, making me feel as if I was jumping off a high cliff, only tond on the ground


    unharmed when his lips left my skin.


    And I would race back to the top, hurtling down the next moment when his lips grazed down to kiss me


    again.


    His hands went around my legs and he pulled me up, positioning me at the perfect angle, and wrapped


    my legs around his


    waist.


    And I let him as his kisses deepened. I was whimpering and moaning and I felt my body was on fire as


    his lips evoked feelings. that had been long buried in me, that nobody had managed to bring to the


    forefront in the twenty years or so that I had been alive.


    His lips traveled down, pushing the flimsy fabric of the gown away as his lips reached my corbone.


    Each kiss spoke to me of how much he liked this, wanted this, and I could only do everything in my


    power to let him.


    I wanted nothing else in life except being pressed against him as he kissed me senseless. All my


    earlier ns of wanting to run away from the Lycan king and the world of werewolves suddenly felt


    wrong.


    Where was the human settlement, and why did I even think of going there?


    The fire ignited within me as the Lycan King¡¯s lips grazed my skin was what I had been missing all my


    life.


    He pulled back after a deep kiss and my heart almost jumped in my mouth. His wild, unruly hair had


    fallen on his golden fiery orbs that were staring at me with an intense emotion.


    Igasped as he pulled back, and my body simply wanted his lips back on mine. But the moment he put


    some distance, the rational thoughts came flooding back to me.


    ¡°It would be interesting to tame you, kitty, especially with the way you respond.¡± He spoke, and 1


    hissed, much to his


    amusement.


    Chapter 9


    ¡°Let me go!!¡±


    But he brought his face closer and was about to answer me, but he seemed to sense something.


    He looked up through the window behind me and I saw his eyebrows furrow as a cloud of fire rose in


    the greenery outside reflected in his eyes. I only peered into his eyes as the cloud rose higher in the air,


    followed by a loud explosion.


    ¡°Fuck!!¡±

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Chapter 10


    Zenovia


    ¡°F c k.¡± Cahan swore as he noticed something was amiss.


    The transformation in his expression and bodynguage was instant. From the heated gaze that had


    set my skin aze, his eyes turned sharp, cold as his shoulders stiffened.


    He looked up, and I followed suit to see faint c ks appearing on the surface of the ceiling as dirt began


    to seep through.


    I did not even get the time to scream as the next second; the ceiling came crashing down on us.


    The Lycan King had never really loosened his grip over me, but the sheer force of the explosion was so


    loud that the window. panes burst apart, showering us with pieces of ss


    I had been looking into his eyes, that were staring back at me with concern. It had been just a fleeting


    moment of tranquility right before we both were knocked off our feet.


    But then, without warning, the tranquility shattered. An ear-splitting explosion erupted, sending


    shockwaves through the hospital. In an instant, everything turned into a swirling vortex of chaos. The


    force of the st flung us to the ground, our bodies crashing onto the unforgiving floor.


    For the next two minutes, dirt and rubble kept pouring on us and the sound of another explosion rocked


    the surrounding


    arca


    I was screaming, terrified of the walls that were copsing, and wanted to desperately run away, but


    Cahan had me caged firmly under his body.


    ss shattered, creating a deadly symphony of shards hurtling through the air. Debris rained down


    upon us, threatening to bury us beneath its weight. It was in that harrowing moment that Cahan,


    instinctively driven to protect, shielded me with his body, bracing against the impact.


    My cars rang from the explosion¡¯s deafening roar, and all I could perceive was a disorienting haze of


    noise and destruction. I clung desperately to Cahan. his solid presence offering a lifeline amidst the


    chaos. Fear coursed through my veins, fueled by adrenaline, as I struggled to make sense of theContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    situation.


    Through the swirling dust and rubble, I caught glimpses of the pale, gloomy room I had been in. It had


    transformed into at war zone, a scene of devastation that paled inparison to the serene haven we


    had sought refuge in just moments before. The warm sunlight had been reced by a sinister haze of


    smoke, choking the air with its acrid stench.


    Trembling, I reached out to touch Cahan, my fingers lightly grazing his cheek. His lips were hovering


    above mine, just a hair¡¯s breadth away. He turned his head, his unwavering gaze looking around to


    survey the damage.


    A muscle in his jaw twitched and the soft gaze of his was reced by a cold, ruthless one. My ears


    were still ringing from the sounds of the aftermath of the explosion and my heart was thundering in my


    chest, drowning all other noises.


    Slowly. I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was blood. Thick crimson blood was trickling out of


    his temples and his pristine white shirt was now red too, with patches of brown and grey. My eyes went


    wide, and I tried to open my mouth, to tell him to check the injuries, but he shook his head.


    He ced his finger on my lips as he whispered, ¡°Shh, now I am going to help us both get up and leave


    you somewhere safe. Please don¡¯t try to run away, okay?¡±


    I could only nod as he merely grunted before lifting us both up. I coughed and sneezed while he threw


    me on his shoulder and ran through the chaos, looking for a shelter.


    But there was none in the vicinity. Everything was reduced to rubble and there were dead bodies


    littered everywhere. Fresh panic coursed through my veins as he muttered, ¡°Ok change of ns, can


    you walk?¡±


    I could not because the weight of his body had crushed me a bit, but I could not say that. So I managed


    to croak, ¡°Yes¡±


    The next second he put me on the ground in the open frontyard and cupped my cheeks. ¡°See the cars


    there? The first one is mine. Here, take the key and hide inside. Ensure nobody follows you. Can you


    do that?¡±


    Tears were pooling in my eyes as I looked at the destruction everywhere. A few feet away from us, the


    nursey in a pool of


    blood.


    ¡°Hey¡± He shook me by the shoulders again and I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He took the keys of his car out of his pockets and handed it over to me. ¡°Go now, I will check on the


    others.¡±


    With those words hanging in the air, he slowly disentangled himself from me, his body battered and


    bruised. His gaze never wavered as he coiled his fists, ready to face the imminent danger. In that


    moment, he was a warrior, unyielding and


    courageous.


    Saying so, he turned around and I sprinted towards the frontyard that led to the car parking. Luckily, no


    attacker was around so I moved as fast as I could, unlocked the car and hid inside.


    16.576


    Chapter 10


    I let out a wince as I studied my shoulder in the mirror. It was bruised and looked ck and blue while


    my legs felt they were made of iron.


    But all of that could wait. I crouched down and surveyed the scene from inside. It seemed that a group


    of rogues had attacked the hospital.


    The cars were in the open parking lot, a considerable distance from the hospital building, so none of


    them had been harmed, though a few had their security rms going on and off every few seconds.


    In the chaos, the distant howls of the rogue werewolves filled the air, their monstrous presence a stark


    reminder of the dangers that lurked outside.


    There was fire and smoke everywhere. Terrified screams and howls of hospital staff and patients


    echoed through the surroundings. I could see a few wolves running around, their teeth gleaming in the


    sun as they one by one went after those that were still alive.


    I put a hand on my mouth as one of them caught a man by his leg and sunk his teeth into his leg,


    making the man give out at gut wrenching scream, However, the next minute, he was on the man,


    sinking his ugly canines in his throat as blood spurted out of his flesh, sttering the wolf¡¯s face.


    The next second, the man stopped twitching and thrashing valiantly as the wolf lifted him by the neck


    and flung him over. The man came flying towards me and collided with the window of the car I was


    hiding in.


    And that is when I realized who it was. He was the same doctor who had been treating me, the one


    Cahan had threatened to punish if he could not cure me.


    I saw his eyes thrown wide open, blood gushing out of the punctures in his neck and his hands that


    were coated in his own blood.


    He looked at me and tried to make a sound, but all he managed to get out was a strangled choke. His


    hands tried to find purchase on the slippery window, to hold on to just about anything, when the car


    jolted hard.


    I was thrown to the other side as I heard snarling and growling noises. I tried to close my ears, holding


    my hands firmly on my ears as the wolf¡¯s maw crunched on the man¡¯s bones while he continued to


    scream and wail.


    The wolf bumped against the car once again and the doctor slid down the window, his hands leaving


    bloody marks over it as he fell to the ground with a sickening thud.


    I did not hear him move again.


    I bit hard on my tongue to stop myself from screaming and calming my raging heart. I could still hear


    the wolf¡¯s angry growls as he teared the doctor¡¯s limbs apart, while more blood sprayed on the car


    window.


    My heart felt like it would burst due to fear. I looked at the car key and thought of driving away but I


    heard more growling. I stayed deathly still, praying to the Goddess that the rogue would not sense my


    presence.


    Tears streamed through my eyes as I tried to not move and hold my breath for as long as I could.


    I had no wolf, so he would tear me apart in seconds if he ever found out I was inside, watching the


    horrific scene from the window of the car.


    I held my knees and tried not to make any noise as the wolf sniffed the air and ran into the remains of


    the hospital, searching for his next prey.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Chapter 11


    After what felt like an eternity. I finally managed to look up through the car window It was streaked with


    blood and little fragments of skin of the doctor, but I tried not to look at them and instead focus on the


    fight going on a few feet away from


    I saw a rogue fly out of one of the windows as shards of ss flew everywhere. He fell to the ground


    with a thud and a scream tore through his lungs.


    The next moment, Cahan pushed open the door leading into the hospital hallway, his senses


    heightened and every muscle in his body coiled with tensIOTY


    The acrid scent of smoke and burning debris reached my nostrils, mingling with the metallic t g of blood


    when I bit down on my tongue. His eyes darted around, taking in the devastation that surrounded him.


    His expression was filled with pure wrath as he took threerge strides and was near the rogue, who


    was struggling to get up.


    His spotless clothes were smeared with dust and blood and there was an injury on his forehead, but he


    did not seem to even


    register it


    Hauling the rogue up in his arms as if he was a rucksack, Cahan threw him against arge pir. The


    rogue gave a pained whimper, and I heard a bone or two c k.


    The rogue never moved again as his body slid to the ground and stayed there. Meanwhile, Cahan


    had already switched his attention elsewhere.


    The lycan king had just killed a rogue without batting an eyelid. Was he the same man who had kissed


    me a few minutes ago?


    I suddenly felt afraid of him. What if he learned of my family and decided I was a traitor? The nurse¡¯s


    words echoed in my


    head.


    Surely, my step family must have cooked some lies against me.


    But then another confusing thought racked my brain- what if he believed them already? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    I was brought out of my reverie when another scream tore through the surroundings.


    The once pristine corridor was now a battleground, strewn with overturned gurneys, shattered ss,


    and the remnants of twisted metal.


    The flickering lights of the hospital cast an eerie glow, casting long shadows that danced along the


    walls. It was a scene of chaos and destruction, a ce where hope and healing had been mercilessly


    torn apart.


    But Cahan had no time to dwell on the wreckage. His mission was clear-to confront the rogue


    werewolves that threatened the lives of innocent people.


    ¡°Matteo, Drusi, where the f k are you guys?¡± He screamed but there was no reply from either of


    them.


    And then I saw something on his face that I did not expect to see.


    Fear.


    Fear that his loved ones were hurt.


    I could see the way he clenched his fists and the way he looked around, throwing the rubble away to


    see if any of them were buried underneath.


    I was feeling a myriad of emotions for a stranger I barely knew-from wariness to desire and hope and


    now concern and pity


    My heart pounded in my chest, a steady rhythm that drowned out the mor of destruction. Meanwhile,


    his grip tightened around the makeshift weapon he had grabbed-a shattered metal rod that gleamed


    dully in the dim light.


    With cautious steps, Cahan advanced through the corridor, his eyes scanning for any signs of


    movement. He knew the enemy lurked in the shadows, their predatory instincts honed and their feral


    forms ready to pounce.


    Cahan tensed, his muscles coiling like springs, ready to unleash their power.


    Suddenly, a massive figure burst forth from a side room, its snarling visage twisted with fury. The rogue


    werewolf lunged straight at Cahan, its muscles bulging with raw strength. Saliva dripped from its


    fanged maw, its yellow eyes filled with at primal hunger.


    Time seemed to slow as the two opponents locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them.


    Cahan¡¯s grip tightened on the metal rod, his knuckles turning white. In that moment, he shed his


    humanity, embracing the Lycan within, and his eyes glinted with pure rage.


    With a roar that turned the rogue¡¯s howl into a kitten¡¯s meow, Cahanunched himself forward. The


    werewolf lunged, ws extended, but Cahan sidestepped the attack with lightning-fast reflexes. He


    swung the metal rod, its jagged edges


    Chapter 11


    meeting the creature¡¯s side with a sickening thud.


    A guttural howl escaped the werewolf¡¯s throat as it recoiled from the blow. Blood dripped from its


    wound, staining the tiled.


    floor.


    At that moment, two more joined him. They all bared their teeth and growled at Cahan. I only


    watched the face-off worriedly, paralyzed with fear.


    However, the Lycan King was not deterred. In fact, he raised his hands and beckoned them toe at


    him, teasing them with his fingers.


    Seeing that, all three rogues lunged at him, their ws shing through the air like deadly talons.


    And Cahan smiled. He actually smirked.


    HOLY S T!


    I only looked at the scene with wide eyes as he moved with the precision of a dancer, his every


    movement calcted and purposeful. He ducked and weaved, evading the creature¡¯s frenzied


    onught.


    And the metal rod felt like an extension of his arm. With every strike, he retaliated, the metal rod


    crashing against the beast¡¯s hide, leaving trails of crimson in its wake.


    The battle raged on, a symphony of violence and desperation. The corridor became a theater of primal


    combat, their roars and grunts merging with the cacophony of destruction outside. Each blow struck the


    target and though it looked like he had only flicked his arm to a certain degree, every single wolf went


    flying into the air and never got up again.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Cahan smirked, ¡°Come on, you guys are boring me to death.¡±


    A man came running in from behind and was about to pounce on Cahan but he did not even look


    back at him. His hand. lifted just at the right moment when the attacker was a hair¡¯s breadth away from


    him and his elbow connected with the man¡¯s jaw.


    The man, probably also a rogue, howled in pain as blood sttered to the ground and his jaw cracked.


    Cahan turned to look at him and spat.


    ¡°At least be man enough to face me instead of attacking me from behind, you mutt¡±


    Cahan raised his foot and stomped on the man¡¯s shoulder as he winced in pain.


    Finally, with a bone-shattering strike, the rogue werewolf crumpled to the ground, defeated. Cahan


    stood there, looking at the rogues, none of whom got up after he sent them flying to the ground. His


    clothes were sttered with more blood and he had killed a dozen or so rogues but there was not even


    a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead.


    Throwing the metal rod away, his gaze flickered briefly to the fallen enemies and I saw him look at


    them, fearing he would. find his people lying among the corpses.


    But then two rogues seemed to have heard the cries of their pack member and rushed to the scene.


    The first rogue lunged, ws shing through the air with deadly precision. Cahan barely had time


    to react, parrying the attack with his makeshift weapon, but it was more than enough. The force of the


    blow sent the rogue howling in pain and I could see the way his shoulder went limp before he crashed


    against a hospital bed and stayed there.


    Cahan¡¯s car was at an angle that gave me a clear view of the battle raging through the rubble. He


    was about to hit the rogue again, but suddenly, his features softened as he noticed something.


    ¡°Shit,¡± He muttered and bent down to pick up the rubble a few feet away. From this distance, I was not


    able to m e out just what he had seen, but there was panic in his voice.


    I saw a bloodied hand shoot up and he frantically pushed away even more debris of rods and cement.


    Slowly, he pulled the hand up and, to my horror; I saw the face of the girl he had been with earlier.


    What was her name again?


    I could not recall. Cahan slowly was trying to help her get up but her feet were trapped under


    something.


    She cried in pain as he was freeing her legs. But then I saw something move in the far right.


    A rogue had somehow appeared and was slowly sneaking on him.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered and tried screaming, but my voice was hoarse and it did not go out of the car.


    The werewolf was closing in on him from behind, as C s busy trying to free the girl.


    I tried opening the door and banged my hands upon it, but it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Shit, did he just lock me in his car?¡±


    Another rogue joined the first one, and they both looked at each other with a sinister look on their


    faces.


    I had seen that too often enough.


    Chapter 11


    Think, Zenovia, Think,¡± I murmured to myself and suddenly recalled that Cahan had given the key to


    me.


    I got down on all fours again and searched through the car and found it lying beneath the driver¡¯s seat.


    I got up again frantically and saw that the werewolves had positioned themselves on two opposite


    sides, closing in on him while he was busy with taking out the debris.


    Even if I ran outside and screamed my lungs out, it would bete¡­toote.


    And in a split second, I made a reckless decision that changed my life forever.


    Turning the ignition on, I simply steered the car toward the hospital and drove it straight towards the


    rogues, who were too busy trying to sneak on Cahan.


    The car bumped against a big block of cement and flew a little, and just when the two werewolves


    jumped in the air, Cahan turned back to look at them.


    And before he could react, I mmed the car into both of them from the side, knocking them off as they


    were smacked into the half broken wall on the side.


    They growled and scraped their ws angrily at the car¡¯s hood, trying to escape, but I hit the


    elerator as if my depended on it, and technically it did.


    ¡°Just die,¡± I screamed.


    life


    Panic and adrenaline coursed through me and I pulled back the car just a few inches before ramming


    the hood of the car into their abdomens again with as much force as I could.


    They let out an ear-splitting screech, and I saw blood and innards stter all over the car¡¯s windshield


    as my heart almost jumped into my mouth.


    And in that second, I realized I had be one of them. The bloodthirsty werewolves I had vowed to


    leave behind¡­now I was one of them.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Chapter 12


    Zenovia


    The dim moonlight filtered in through the window slit, casting a warm glow on the bed. I pulled the


    sheets closer to me and wrapped myself up in it like a baby.


    The sheets were soft, and silky and it felt like I was sleeping on a fluffy cloud.


    Wait. I did not have sheets in my wooden cabin, hell; I didn¡¯t even have a bed.


    Was I dreaming? I groggily tried to feel the sheets, but they still feel very real to me. Confused, I tried to


    open my eyes and find it to be a nearly impossible task.


    And then my head felt like it weighed a ton and as if my body was just waiting for me to wake up, it


    reminded me of every single body part and how it hurt.


    my


    hands.


    Even moving myself was an effort, but I somehow pushed the sheets away and held my head in


    The pain was too intense, and I winced a little as my body wanted nothing more than to curl up into a


    ball and never wake


    up.


    I heard the sound of footsteps hurrying in and a hand slowly pushed me back onto the bed before I


    clumsily fell down and smacked my face against the floor.


    ¡°You need to rest¡± A soft female voice reaches my ears. Forcing my eyes open, I saw a blurry outline of


    a middle-aged


    Woman.


    ¡°Wh-who are you?¡±


    I asked as she turned to the side and held a ss of water in front of me.


    ¡°My name is Maria and I am your caretaker or your nurse, whatever you might deem fit to call me¡±


    I gave her a confused look, and I tried to speak, but my throat was parched, so I shakily took the ss


    from her hand and took a few sips.


    ¡°Wh-where am I?¡± I managed to ask, and she took the ss away from me and ced it with a soft


    clink on the bedside table.


    ¡°You are at the Skalbeck mansion,¡± she answered me sweetly but my face drained of all color.


    Skalbeck mansion.I was in the Lycan King¡¯s mansion!!


    And with that, everything else came flooding back to me again. A sharp jolt of pain shot through my


    head as I registered the fact that I was at the house of the very person I wanted to run away from.


    ¡°I¡­I have to go.¡± I said and tried to get up, but Maria shook her head. ¡°You have sustained a lot of


    injuries and you do not even have a wolf yet. Your healing will take ce like a normal human being.


    So please don¡¯t even think about leaving this ce¡±


    She said, not in an unkind voice.


    But then another voice reached my ears, ¡°No, she is going to try to do the opposite, so don¡¯t bother.¡±


    I look up to see Cahan standing at the door. He grinned as he leaned on the doorframe and waited


    for the to retort.


    But I was too busy examining him. I had not even fought the rogues yet I was scraped, and injured with


    injuries ranging from mild to severe, making me look like a battered pig, but he was standing there as if


    he was not even there at the hospital like a s g machine.


    He was wearing a simple blue shirt and ck jeans, but he looked too d n perfect. My blood boiled at


    how effortlessly he was smiling at me after killing a dozen or more rogues.


    I felt jealous of his strength and of his aura, but there was something else I felt when my eyes took in


    his handsome features, his angr cheekbones and the way his eyes t le with amusement.


    Maria gave him a polite bow and replied, ¡°She just woke up, your majesty. I was about toe and


    inform you.¡±


    But he only waved his hands off, his eyes never leaving mine, ¡°I¡¯ve told you a thousand times, not to


    call me that¡±


    Maria smiles weakly and replies, ¡°I will get her bath ready.¡±


    A bath?


    She exited the room, leaving me and him in thatrge bedroom alone. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I red back at the man who was yet to enter the room but was simply studying me. He had not said a


    word to me yet, and did not ask how I was feeling or if I was hurt.


    And then I was surprised why I even cared if he asked about my well-being or not.


    15:58 D


    Chapter 12


    Why did you bring me here?¡± I asked, recalling the gory light in the hospital or whatever was left of it.


    ¡°Where else would you rather be?¡± He asked me pointedly, and I had no answer to his question.


    That does not answer my question.¡± I snapped, and he took a step in, his hands in his pockets.


    I subconsciously slink back a little as he took another step in my direction.


    ¡°What makes you think I am answerable to you?¡± Cahan asked in the same voice. He stopped when


    he reached the edge of the bed and his knees bumped softly into the bedframe.


    The memories of the fight rose up in my mind, vivid and visceral, and a frown appeared on my face.


    ¡°The girl how is she?¡± I ask, recalling the bloodied hand he had pulled out of the debris.


    ¡°Oh. Drusi? Yeah, she is a bit broken but nothing that can¡¯t be fixed,¡± He answered and kept studying


    me.


    So, he was going to answer me, but only the things he felt were worth answering?


    His gaze was unnerving, and I felt trapped in it. My heartbeat quickened, and 1 looked towards the


    possible exits. There was one behind him-the big door he had walked in through and there were two


    windows on either side of me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. The window is at a height of about 7 feet and, given your condition, you


    would only fracture your bones again¡±


    He supplied as if discussing the weather. ¡°Maria is a skilled nurse, and she is helping the others


    recover, too. It would do you good if you just let her do her work.¡±


    I did not agree with him, nor did I disagree.


    ¡°If you think you are doing me a favor by getting me treated, let me remind you that I saved your life


    back at the hospital¡±


    I speak with my chin


    jutting up. I did not want him to think that he could just use me as a toy for him to y with and then kill


    me when he gets bored with me, like a cat would y with a mouse.


    He brought his hand to his temple and rubbed a finger across it. ¡°That is exactly what I am wondering


    about. Why did you?¡±


    Cahan looked at me expectantly, and it felt like he had some kind of power over me. I opened my


    mouth to speak, but not words came out. Why had I driven the car like a madd and squashed the two


    rogues like watermelon?


    The memory made bile rise in my throat that I viciously shoved down. I did not want to look weak in


    front of him. I was not


    a prey.


    My brain felt too worked up, so I just blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.


    ¡°It is something my mother used to tell me. A true warrior never attacks someone from the back that¡¯s


    only what cowards do. So, I figured if they were ying foul, you can use an advantage too.¡±


    Cahan looked at me sharply and he furrowed his eyebrows, but did not speak immediately. He


    pondered over the response while I cursed myself for opening up in front of him.


    Giving him information about myself was basically just handing ammunition to him to use against me.


    He waited for so long that I thought he would never respond, but then he slowly opened his mouth and


    muttered, ¡°And that advantage was? You?¡±


    His words make me bothered all over again. What kind of asshole mocks someone who saved his life


    instead of expressing gratitude?


    However, when I looked at his face, he appeared to be deep in thought. His eyes were darting from left


    to right, as if he was trying to figure out something.


    ¡°Rogues have no honor or ethics. They are just a bunch of brutes who need to be put down.¡± He


    mumbled to himself, as if discarding his earlier thoughts and forcing himself back to the present.


    ¡°So even if you did run them over with my car, which you damaged pretty badly, mind you, I would have


    just sustained a


    scratch or two


    Arrogant asshole.


    Anger rose up in me again and I wanted to just wipe off that smug look from his face, but I know right


    now I was too weak to


    do that.


    ¡°Nice way of saying thank you.¡± I speak in a singsong voice and the irony of it is not lost on him.


    He lowered himself onto the bed and sat directly in front of me as he said, ¡°Feisty little thing, aren¡¯t


    you? Enough praises about me. Let us talk about you.¡±


    My anger suddenly vanished and was reced by fear as he asked, ¡°Let us start with your name. What


    do they call you?¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Chapter 13


    I stared at him, and with every passing second, I felt death inching closer to me. I had been too caught


    up in the argument to worry about my survival.


    I thought of a hundred things to say. Maybe I could have cooked up a different identity and called


    myself a rogue after my family was killed in a pack attack.


    But there was no fooling the Lycan king who knew his territory like the back of his hand. I was sure he


    was aware of every single pack and their alphas, even if he did not pay them much attention.


    Rogues, however, were a different matter altogether.


    Maybe I should have faked a memory loss and avoided answering him. That would have saved me


    from a lot of trouble. But somehow the way his gaze held me in ce, the way he was sitting inches


    away from me, demanded nothing but. honesty.


    I was not sure how much he knew about me, but I figured he must have found out something by now.


    So. 1 simply jutted my chin up again and replied, ¡°Zenovia Archer of the Nightfall Pack. My father is


    was Alpha Drake, but he would not agree to that im, not that I care.¡±


    I spoke and stopped myself short of just vomiting all the contempt and hatred I felt for my family. He


    tilted his head and looked at me.


    ¡°I did not expect you to be honest about your identity. That was a start,¡± he muttered and reached for


    the ss, pouring water in it before holding it back in front of me.


    ¡°I believe you do not need a demonstration again,¡± he said, eyeing the ss and then my face. I


    recalled the way he had sipped water from my ss and how it had been the single most exciting thing


    to watch at that moment.


    I blinked and tried to shove away that thought and took the ss from him.


    ¡°So, you are not going to kill me?¡± I asked, and he countered, ¡°I thought you preferred to stay alive.¡±


    He dodged my question again.


    It looked like he would not give me any straight answers, so I simply took the ss and sipped some


    water again, wondering what he wanted from me.


    After I was done. I ced the water ss back on the table as he murmured. ¡°You are used of


    mingling with the rogues and passing on crucial information to them. I even received photos of you with


    a group of rogues.¡±


    Photos? Where did the photose from? I wondered. Had Sid gone to such an extent?


    I looked at him and tried to keep a neutral expression, but I think I was failing at it. My lips trembled,


    and the intensity of my family¡¯s betrayal felt like somebody was scraping at a wound and trying to


    viciously tear off the scabbing, making me


    bleed.


    My hands curled into fists as I grabbed the sheets, my nails digging into my palms.


    ¡°I did not do any of that. My pack disowned me, and I do not feel the need to return to them either,¡± I


    spoke through gritted teeth. Tears were pooling in the back of my eyes, and I willed myself to not let it


    show.


    ¡°Your Alpha, Luna, and your brother imed you were a liar. In fact, every single member of your pack


    said you were the culprit.¡±


    I took a minute to process this piece of information.


    I was not going to cry in front of him. So I took a deep breath to get a grip on myself and muttered, ¡°I


    am not going to stay here anymore. When I am fit enough, I will leave for the human world and never


    show you my face again. Good riddance to


    you.¡±


    Surely, he would not want me anywhere near him or his people, right?


    However, Cahan only looked me in the eye and replied, ¡°That seems impossible for now.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows and waited for him to go on, but he stopped himself. Curiosity got the better of


    me and I asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    He raised his hand and reached for a lock of my hair that was falling on my face-or that is what I


    thought he was doing-


    His hand brushed my cheek, and I tried not to shiver as he reached for something behind me. My heart


    dropped when he grabbed the edge of the curtain and threw it open.


    The moonlight was now shining brightly through the ss, casting a soft glow on the bed, on both of


    us.


    I held back the urge to lean into him as he pulled his hand back, though I knew he caught the way my


    eyes fluttered when he


    Chapter 13


    brought his hand near me.


    I cursed my traitorous emotions once again as he said, ¡°You are mine now. They were going to offer


    you to me as a gift. And while you were busy sleeping for two weeks. I figured out your identity.¡±


    Two weeks? I had been passed out and in this mansion for two weeks? And my father had ¡®offered me


    to Cahan?


    The Lycan King waited for me to throw a tantrum, w at him or even yell back, but I fell unnaturally


    silent.


    A hot wave of anger rose up my stomach as I processed yet another blow of my so-called family.


    I should have expected this, I had known this, but it still affected me. I bit my tongue to not let anguish


    nt its roots in my


    heart.


    No. I was done with them. I reminded myself.


    After ensuring that my voice would note out as a croak. I muttered, ¡°I am not a thing to be gifted to


    someone. And I am


    not yours


    I spoke, though my body was oddly delighted when he called me his. I knew he had meant as a ve


    to scrub his toilets or do his dishes, but the way he spoke that line had sent goosebumps down my


    spine.


    I both hoped he had meant it the way I assumed and did not at the same time.


    This man was hotness personified, and I was struggling to not let him have a hold over me.


    I believe I was just desperate to be wanted by someone¡­anyone.


    I was expecting a monster to care about me when my own family had shunned me. And I hated being


    so weak and gullible. Cahan ced a hand on the bed, just a hair¡¯s breadth away from my knee and


    replied. ¡°I am the King and it is for me to decide what to do with a rogue, and did you not see what I do


    to them?¡±


    He asked as his eyes glittered with an unknown emotion. I tried to stay still, but my heart was


    thundering in my chest and I wanted to just run away from him.


    Or maybe just kiss those damn lips again and die like a moth that gets incinerated when it gets too


    close to the me.


    I shook my head. What was wrong with me?


    His gaze was unnerving, and it was doing odd things to me. There was a weird fluttering in my chest as


    I tried to hold his gaze, which was an effort in itself.


    Cahan leaned forward, bringing his face close to mine. My heart began thumping again and my gaze


    dipped to his full lips


    I was getting worked up, so, as usual, a snarkyment left my lips.


    ¡°You kill them, but you kissed me,¡± I said, and his gaze fell on my lips again.


    A wave of desire rippled through me as he debated whether he should just shut me up and I would


    prefer he did that with his lips agam.


    My breathing quickened as he leaned forward, barely, and brought his lips close to my ear and


    whispered.


    ¡°And you liked it.¡±


    His breath fanned my skin, and the scent of his cologne was too enticing. My fists knotted into the


    sheets again as he straightened himself agam and replied,


    ¡°If you would rather want to be killed instead of kissed, let me know.¡±


    That same smirk was back again on his face and I wanted so badly to w it off his face. He was


    taunting me as if I was some prey to fool around with


    I looked around and blindly reached for the te of fruits kept on the side. Grabbing the knife, I brought


    it between us and ced it on his neck.


    ¡°Dont you dare try that again.¡± I spoke, my grip tightening on the knife¡¯s hilt.


    But Cahan was unfazed. ¡°Or what?¡±


    1 grit my teeth and replied, ¡°Or I will kill you.¡±


    He reached for the knife and I panicked for a second, but he did not try to take it away from me.


    Instead, his hand wrapped around mine and he muttered. ¡°Tsk tsk. feisty feral cat.¡±


    Then he pushed it even further towards his neck and the de¡¯s edge grazed his skin. My eyes grew


    wide as he added in a


    steady voice. ¡°Do it¡±


    I was not sure what to focus on his lips that were inches away from mine or the way he held my hand,


    the touch sending sparks all over my body.


    It takes more than a knife to kill someone¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I croak, sounding like a bleating goat.


    ¡°A steady heartbeat and yours is beating wildly, so let me help you¡­.¡±


    He grabbed the knife and pushed it further into his neck and I saw blood blossom on the tip of the


    de.


    I shrieked and tried to let go of the knife, but his grip was iron strong. My eyes went wide as I tried to


    resist him as he further pushed the de into his skin.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I screamed in horror and he finally let go of my hand.


    I pulled it back, and the knife fell on hisp. The blood stopped flowing after a millisecond and the


    wound healed itself right in front of my eye.


    ¡°Make no mistake, Zenovia. I am not your average werewolf or an alpha. I am the Lycan king and you


    are at my mercy, so if you want to stay alive, you better keep reminding me how killing you is a bad


    decision.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Chapter 14


    Cahan


    Weird. Feisty, Unruly.


    That¡¯s the only thing that pops into my head when I think of Zenovia. Technically, I should have


    punished her for her crimes. They were too big.


    She was responsible for so many deaths, so many sufferings of my people down south because she


    had been conspiring with her rogue boyfriend. However, the rogue problem had been raging more or


    less in every area, not just south..


    Zenovia was feisty, no doubt, but the way she responded to me and my touch clearly told me she was


    a novice in terms of intimacy.


    Or maybe she had just started exploring the realms of pleasure and her boyfriend was taking it slow. Or


    she did not know that her boyfriend was conspiring against her pack and was merely using her as a


    pawn.


    The way she had moaned and writhed under my touch had been heavenly and I could tell real


    reactions from the fake ones. novices from experts after all, every girl wanted me and had thrown


    herself at me.


    Every girl except her.


    ¡°Yes, you wanted to test if she had any experience in sex, which is why you kissed her.¡± Beast


    chuckled in ¡°Why else would P¡± I y red at him.


    my


    head.


    And somehow, the fact that she had someone in her life angered me more than the fact that she was


    such a nuisance. The fact that I cared who a random girl, a rogue, had been with before she met me,


    made me furious.


    I could not exin the pull I felt for her, but it was there- the odd pain in my chest whenever I was


    around her-as if going away from her would be a bad decision. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°It is indeed a bad decision. I want to mark her,¡± Beast growled in my head.


    My Lycan had always been tame and never showed much interest in the girls that kept throwing


    themselves at us.


    The perfectly manufactured dolls with their polished nails and shiny hair, pped with so much make-


    up that it hid their real faces they all looked the same to me and to both of us.


    Beast was content waiting for a mate-something I was cursed to never have. Not that I loved the idea


    of having a mate, either. His standards were too high.


    As for me, no such thing as love existed, only need. And I was more than capable of taking care of my


    needs.


    ¡°Are you even listening. King Cahan?¡± Matt¡¯s voice dragged me out of my thoughts.


    I was seated in my office and ying with the paperweight while Matt and the others were busy


    discussing the rogue attack. ¡°Listen to what?¡± I ask without taking my eyes off the paperweight.


    Matt ran a hand through his hair. ¡°The rogue attack two weeks ago that almost turned Dru into a c e


    and led to the deaths of so many people.¡±


    Dru? I raised an eyebrow. Only I called her that.


    ¡°What is there to discuss? I killed every single one of them.¡±


    Drusi, who was sitting by the window, looking outside at the nature, added, ¡°Zenovia killed thest


    two of the rogues¡± ¡°Whatever¡± I shrugged


    The attack had killed almost half of the hospital staff, but my people had been rtively unharmed and


    ever since that attack, the rogne menace had quieted down.


    I looked at my best friend, Drusi, who had a diary in her hand that she used to scribble something in


    from time to time and then look up at us or the nature before returning to that again.


    ¡°I did not know you kept a diary.¡± I spoke, and she gave me a tired smile, ¡°The thoughts and visions


    sometimese to me


    at the oddest of times, sometimes when I am doing something else and they just vanish before I can


    make sense of them. So, I thought it was a good idea to start noting them down.¡±


    I gave her a nod as Matt spoke to me again.


    ¡°Most of the rogues were killed, but I have been keeping tabs on suspicious activity and it seems like


    the rogues would lie low for a while before they gang up andunch an attack again.¡±


    I twirled the paperweight on the table as it danced on the stack of files I was yet to read; the ss


    throwing soft hues of blue and green all around.


    ¡°I made a spectacle of the rogues and ensured that everybody died a painful death. They would think


    twice before ever


    15.50


    Chapter 14


    trying to attack again.¡±


    My thoughts kept flitting to Zenovia and recalling the way she had felt under my arms, the way she


    responded to my touch. Why had I kissed her? I was not some h y mutt in heat who would just pounce


    on a girl the moment heid eyes on her. Alphas of various packs would asionally try to set me up


    with their sisters and daughters who would try to seduce me. They all had the same bodies with their


    bouncy breasts and tiny waists, but when they opened their mouths, their s y


    would show


    I did not want a girl, much less a brainless beauty beside me.


    If I really had to pick, I would prefer a beauty with sass and intelligence.


    Zenovia was a feisty cat who did not try to please me despite knowing I was the Lycan King.


    No, she made it a point that she would hiss and growl whenever I was around. And I loved a challenge.


    I smirked at that thought as Drusi spoke to me.


    ¡°Cal, did you give it any more thought?¡± Her words made me stop ying with the paperweight.


    ¡°She is a rogue. Hell, she doesn¡¯t even have a wolf. How do you even think she would be a good fit for


    the task?¡±


    I asked her, not for the first time. Ever since I had met Zenovia, Drusi never stopped chirping about


    how she was the one destined to break my curse and stop me from goingpletely feral.


    My curse was twofold-one aspect of it was that I would never find a mate and the second was that


    Beast, my Lycan, would slowly take over me and I would never be able to transform into a human


    again.


    I looked at the others and spoke sharply. ¡°I believe the rogue attack has been discussed enough¡±


    They took the cue and left, leaving just Matteo and Drusi with me.


    ¡°I will go check on those who are still recovering. Matt said and left the room shortly after.


    After the door fell shut, Drusi looked at me pointedly, ¡°I have been studying the stars and the moon.


    My research tells me that we should start educating Zenovia on the anchor bond as quickly as


    possible.¡±


    I gave a humorless chuckle. ¡°Dru, if you have not noticed it before, let me tell you this. She hates me


    and she hates werewolves, in general. She is only trapped here until she recovers. The day she finds


    her strength, she is running away without a backward nce.¡±


    Drusi came near me and ced a hand on my hand and gently squeezed it. ¡°All the more reason to


    share it with her¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°So that she finds out she has an upper hand and can use it against me? That is like


    handing a gun in the hands of a prisoner.¡±


    ¡°Then stop making her feel as if she is imprisoned.¡±


    I mmed my hand on the table, startling her. ¡°Do you think I have chained her or locked her in a


    cer? I have no idea why she hates me so much when all I did was save her.¡±


    Drusi tried to reason with me, ¡°She is scared, Cal. She has nowhere to go and we are all strangers to


    her. She has probably heard horror stories of you.¡±


    I gave her an amused smile, ¡°Nice to know I star as a boogeyman in her dreams.¡±


    Though the thought that she would dream about me made me feel oddly nice.


    My seer friend red at me. ¡°That is not what I meant. But she saw you rip the rogues apart to pieces.


    Please try to be gentle and kind to her. We need you. The kingdom needs you.¡±


    ¡°And somehow your Moon Goddess and your stars tell you that someone as weak and fragile as her is


    supposed to be my


    salvation.¡±


    I hated that d n witch and the curse, but never before had 1 felt such a level of contempt for her. I had


    always thought of her words to be empty talk, as I had never even been interested in a mate.


    But now, with the time ticking and the appearance of Zenovia, things were beginning to change. Not to


    mention, Beast, who was making me think things about her that I had not thought about any girl in a


    long time.


    1 gripped the paperweight tightly in my hand as Drusi muttered, ¡°Please¡±


    1 let out a sigh. ¡°I will try,¡± and she gave me a bright smile.


    ¡°What makes you think she would agree to help? Being an anchor is not like a mate bond that makes


    you feel things for


    someone.¡±


    Drusi closed her diary and got up from her chair.


    ¡°She saved you, Cal. She had the car and the keys. She could have run away from the scene and


    driven it to the human


    Chapter 14


    settlement. As you said, she ims she wants to do. She had the chance to run away, yet she drove


    the car in direction¡­to save you. Surely that means something.¡±


    your


    I did not like the odd fluttering in my chest at the way she recited Zenovia¡¯s actions. Beast too agreed


    with Drusi in my


    head.


    ¡°She wants us to mark her.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Beast¡± I said in my head.


    I did not know why my Lycan was being so adamant about marking a wolfless girl when he had ignored


    all the beauties so


    far.


    I guess, like me, my Lycan too loved a challenge.


    Though I was not going to discuss this with him. So, I red at him and he retreated into the corner of


    my mind.


    Meanwhile, Drusi took my silence on her words as an approval and added, ¡°Zenovia is going to be


    the best thing to ever happen to you.¡±


    But I shook my head. She was going to be the death of me with her feisty attitude and her cute little


    eyes.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Chapter 15


    Zenovia


    Sitting in the room was boring me to death, so I decided to venture outside But when I tried to move my


    feet, they were still hurting and felt sore.


    The door to my room was closed, so I looked around I had spent a great deal arguing with Cahan, so


    I did not pay much attention to the ce he had forced me m


    This room was nothing like the rooms 1 had seen back home. Even the alpha¡¯s residence had not been


    so rich and opulent as


    this room.


    Wherever Looked. I saw tasteful furniture, soothing lights, and a ssh of color here and there. To my


    left there was a huge wardrobe, a dressing table and a huge mirror with little lights around it while on


    the right a big window with a plush couch


    There was also a small table and two chairs beside the couch. The room wasrger than the size of the


    gymn in which Sid used to train.


    However, I reminded myself that this was nothing more than a golden cage. I had to find a map of this


    ce or atleast familiarize myself with the roughyout so I would know the exit points whenever I find


    the opportunity to flee.


    With that in mind, I forced myself to move. My legs groaned in pain but I felt sore sitting all day so


    slowly yet steadily 1 managed to ce my feet on the floor.


    However, my feet came in contact with a soft carpet that made me feel like I was walking on a cloud.


    Holding the edge of the bed frame. I slowly walked towards the window. It was open, and I saw a huge


    garden,plete with fountains, shrubs, and flowers of all types, nted tastefully through the


    landscape.


    There were a few gazebos and benches too at the corners and a pathway that was made of stones. It


    looked like a castle I would imagine when I was young and mother used to tell me stories of how a


    handsome prince came to save the princess in


    distress


    However, in my case, the handsome prince wanted to kill me.


    My hands went to my lips as I traced them, recalling the way he had kissed me. I try to shove that


    memory down as a knock resounds outside the door.


    ¡°May Ie in?¡± Maria¡¯s voice reaches my ears.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I say and she opens the door.


    ¡°I just wanted to check on you. Do you feel hungry, or do you need anything else?¡± She asked, and I


    thought of answering ¡®freedom¡¯ but knew that she would not be able to help with that.


    Hence, I gave her the second best answer I could while being truthful. ¡°I feel bored sitting in the room


    doing nothing all day.¡±¡±If you can walk properly, I can give you a small tour of the mansion.¡±


    ¡®And I will find out all the sneaky passageways and exits, I thought and smiled at her.


    ¡°I will be a little slow but I would love to see the ce,¡± I replied, and she replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    For the next hour, Maria gave me a tour of the huge mansion. And it was f g huge. There was a two


    level gym, a wide and s s kitchen, around twenty or so rooms, t quarters, and whatnot.


    The pce felt like a maze to me and I began to feel dizzy while just looking around and trying to


    memorize all the entryways, exits and paths that seemed intertwined with each other.


    Maria saw the look on my face and replied, ¡°Do not think of escaping, sweet girl. I have heard rogues


    have be increasingly vicious these days. Though some say they are lying low but they seem hell


    bent on rebellion. The forest is not safe anymore


    My eyes went wide at that. I had to not only find a path to escape from the pce undetected, but also


    figure out a route that went to the human settlement without any rogue catching my scent.


    This was going to be so tough.


    ¡°Hey, you are up and running already,¡± a voice called out to me. I turned to look at Drusi, who was


    waving her hand at


    me.


    She was wearing a white blouse, and blue pants and her hair fell in waves upon her shoulders. She


    looked so elegant and graceful.


    Hooked down at myself and saw that I was still wearing pajamas and my hair was probably a ho¡¯s


    nest.


    I tried to run a hand through my hair and smooth out the tangles as she approached me.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asked, her brows furrowing with concern.


    Chapter 15


    Why was she being so nice to me? I looked at her warily and added, ¡°A bit better.¡±


    She gave me a bright smile. ¡°That is great news. Have you eaten anything?¡±


    I was about to say I was not hungry, but my stomach decided to rumble at that same moment. She took


    that as an affirmation and looked at Maria.


    ¡°It is nearing lunch time. Maybe you can set a table for us?¡±


    The thought of warm food made me feel relieved. I had only survived on stale food and leftovers when I


    was back in my pack.


    Nobody thought of offering me a warm meal, though I would be the one to help prepare it, serve and do


    the dishes.


    I always ate after almost everybody was done and survived on scrapes.


    Maria nodded her head. ¡°Sure, Miss Drusi. Would you want me to cook anything special?¡±


    Drusi tapped on her chin thoughtfully, ¡°anything would work.¡± Then her gaze flitted to me. ¡°Oh wait,


    Zenovia is our guest. Why don¡¯t you ask her what she would like to cat?¡±


    My eyes went wide with shock. I was their guest?


    Maria looked at me expectantly and asked, ¡°So, what would you like to eat, Miss Zenovia?¡±


    Nobody had ever asked me that¡­except my mother, who was no more.


    you.¡±


    I was overwhelmed with the strange emotion I felt, so I only shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever is easy


    for Maria¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°You are not making me slog by asking me to cook something nice. That is


    my job, you know.¡±


    I bit my lip nervously and looked at Drusi, who gave me an encouraging smile. ¡°Go on.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I thought of it again. My mother used to make a very tasty chicken soup, so I simply muttered,


    ¡°Chicken?¡±


    Maria chuckled lightly and announced, ¡°Alright, lunch will be served in an hour¡±


    She bowed to both of us, not just Drusi, which was a surprise, and walked away, leaving me with her.


    ¡°So, want me to continue the tour for you?¡± she asked hopefully, and I did not know anybody else here,


    so I simply nodded.


    She seemed close to Cahan, and since she was being nice to me, I thought I could try to figure out


    what her friend nned to do with me.


    Cahan added tidbits of information as we walked down a pathway that opened up to a few rooms on


    either side of us.


    The pce had several wings, and we were currently in the King¡¯s personal wing-


    ¡°This ce here is solely for the King. There is his study, a separate gym, a suite and a few other


    rooms for his entertainment and rxation.¡±


    ¡°Do you live here too?¡± I blurted out, and she chuckled,


    ¡°Technically, no,


    but I am here almost the entire day, so you could say that I snatched a room for myself.¡±,


    She winked at me and I could not help but wonder why was she so jolly and chirpy.


    ¡°Have you known the Lycan King for long?¡± I could not help but ask.


    She sped her hands together.


    ¡°I would say so. He is my best friend and I would do anything for him.¡±


    She appeared to be very fond of him and I could not understand how could anybody feel like that about


    a monster.


    But I kept that thought to myself.


    ¡°Then I need your help.¡± I said instead, and she looked at me curiously.


    ¡°Oh please, do not hesitate. Ask away anything that is troubling your mind.¡±


    I let out a sigh and replied, ¡°What does your best friend n to do with me?¡±


    Her bright smile wavered a bit, and she looked around. There were a few s ts doing the chores, so she


    quickly pulled into a vacant room.


    ¡°It is not what he ns to do with you, but what I want to.¡±


    Huh?


    I looked at her with squinted eyes. What could this girl possibly want from me?


    15:58


    Chapter 15


    ¡°There is a long story that I cannot tell you right now, but I believe you can help save both the King and


    the kingdom from destruction.¡±


    I looked at her with the same puzzled expression. Had she taken a heavy drink or possibly hit her head


    somewhere?


    She saw the look on my face and added, ¡°Yes, I know I sound insane. Cal thinks that too, and so does


    Matteo. But I know you are smart and intelligent, and I think you would help us all.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡± I folded my hands across my chest, tapping my foot on the plush carpet.


    ¡°You are aware of the curse on Cahan, right?¡± She asked, and I nodded my head.


    Everybody knew that, even bastard kids like me, though it was never spoken out in the public because


    Cahan¡¯s men would simply thrash a e that dared raise a question or mock him.


    ¡°Let us just say that the King is slowly dying and if you do not help, he won¡¯t survive.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Zenovia


    To say that I was shocked was an understatement. I was a nobody. My pack had disowned me and


    labeled me a traitor and a


    rogue.


    I think Cahan believed that as well. So how would a nobody like me ever be strong enough to save


    him? And why was he dying?


    A lot of confusing questions popped in my head, but I did not know which one to ask first. Meanwhile,


    there was a soft knock on the door and a maid politely bowed to us.


    ¡°Miss Drusi, Miss Zenovia, lunch is ready to be served.¡±


    Drusi simply grabbed my head and ushered me outside. ¡°We can talkter. Food is more important.¡±


    For once, I could not disagree with her and let her drag me to the dining area. Maybe she was just


    being overly dramatic with King Cahan¡¯s health. He looked perfectly fine to me.


    In fact, he had the most ripped physique and looked like he was made of iron and steel. He had single¨C


    handedly killed over a dozen rogues. What could possibly kill him?


    Thus, I set my worries aside and decided to focus on the food.


    The dining area was as big as the alpha residence.


    I was beginning to think I would need some sort of vehicle to travel through the mansion. The grandeur


    of the mansion was visible in every single detail, from the silverware to the chandelier hanging above


    the table and the butlers and maids who were wearing uniforms and looked more decent than me.


    I was still in my pajamas and felt oddly out of ce. They all smiled at me as Drusi dragged me to


    the table and plopped me on a chair. The chair had velvety soft cushions, and I felt my butt sink in the


    table as the delicious aroma of food wafted towards me.


    I was suddenly ravenous, and as the maids began serving the food, I became increasingly impatient.


    There was so much food that it would have filled the stomachs of my entire ss back in school.


    Maria stepped forward and exined, ¡°I have prepared a three course meal for thedies to indulge in.


    As this is our guest¡¯s first meal here, I wanted it to be special. So for entr¨¦e, we have fresh oysters on


    the half shell with mignte sauce, and a caprese sd, for the main course we have herb roasted


    whole chicken just as Miss Zenovia asked and for the sides we have creamy mashed potatoes, and a


    mixed green sd.¡±


    I only blinked at her.


    What the hell was a mignte sauce or a caprese sd?


    I had no idea, but it was not as if I cared. They served us the food, and I gorged on it as if I had never


    tasted food before.


    The meat was so tender that it melted on my tongue the moment I put it in my mouth. My mouth


    watered at all the food. disyed in front of me and I greedily took a bite of everything offered.


    When I could not eat anymore because I had stuffed my mouth to the brim, I looked at Drusi.


    ¡°Is the Lycan King not going to have lunch? It is already quitete¡±


    She delicately carved a piece of chicken and put the fork in her mouth and replied, ¡°No, he told me he


    had some meetings to attend. Apparently, after the rogue attack, everybody is quite shaken, so Matt


    thinks it is a good idea to throw some kind of party to liven up the atmosphere.¡±


    I listened intently to her as Maria came forward and asked, ¡°Would you like to have the dessert now,


    Miss Zenovia?¡±


    I rubbed my hand over my belly that was full and wiped the back of my mouth like a grizzly bear.


    Surely, I could make some room for the dessert.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I nodded, and a maid served something choctey and fruity that she called ¡®tiramisuyered cake. I


    ignored the name and took a bite as the sweet melted in my mouth.


    It was heavenly.


    And just as I was gorging on the sweet dish, Drusi chirped, ¡°And if rumors are to be believed, King


    Cahan might allow them to have a mate ball as well.¡±


    The spoon I was holding in my hand ttered against the dish, startling her as she looked at me in


    surprise.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I nodded my head vigorously. Though I felt anything but okay.


    There had not been a mating ball in the past few years as Cahan had denied permission to holding


    the event after some fiasco.


    Chapter to


    ¡°Has he agreed to it?¡± I asked, and she gave it a thought. ¡°Not yet, but Elijalt is trying hard to make him


    agree.¡±


    ¡°Elijah?¡± I asked in confusion and she replied, ¡°Oh, you have not met him yet, have you? He is the


    gamma and was sent to some pack in the north by Cahan. He has returned from his trip and is


    currently eating Cal¡¯s head.¡±


    I gave her a simile as she switched her attention to her dessert.


    She took a bite and casually added, ¡°Cahan has avoided it like a gue, but I hope he goes there


    this time. He needs to find


    a mate soon.¡±


    The Lycan King was known to be cunning and ruthless and here she was talking about him as if he


    was a saint.


    But more than that, I realized a small seed of jealousy appeared in my head when she talked about him


    finding a mate.


    I added carefully. ¡°But did you not say the witch cursed him to never find one?¡±


    Drusi took the paper napkin and dabbed her lips before answering me, ¡°Oh yes, he is cursed to


    never find his fated mate, the one chosen by the Moon Goddess, but he can always pick someone on


    his own. It is not that umon. Think of it as an arranged marriage.


    I could not help but wonder what this could mean for me. If he was going to have a chosen mate, why


    keep me around?


    To be his mistress while he took his time finding an appropriate mate for himself and to be his queen?


    Dread and a spark of jealousy rose in my chest. The memory of our first kiss returned to me with a


    ferocious intensity. Had he only kissed me to see if I was good enough to satisfy him? His heated gaze


    at the hospital and the way he had taken the knife in his hand¡­.it made me shiver both with fear and


    anticipation.


    I shook my head. What was I thinking?


    Hell no. 1 was not going to be his mistress or breeder. I looked at Drusi, who was simply observing


    me.


    A thousand doubts were swirling in my head, but I kept quiet. She was his best friend. I had to be


    careful around her, even if she was being nice to me.


    And a n began to form in my head.


    The mating ball or party, whatever they might hold, it would be my chance to sneak out when all of


    them are busy.


    And I had to know everything about the event if I wanted to find the perfect opportunity to sneak out.


    Sitting in my room and blindly trying to run away from here, only to get caught by either of the staff,


    would only make Cahan more angry.


    No, I had to take this one chance and run away undetected.


    ¡°Did you say the mating ball? I would very much like to be involved in the preparations,¡± I said to her


    while finishing my


    dessert.


    She gave me a bright smile, ¡°Oh, sure, I can¡­.¡± but then trailed off.


    Drusi bit her lower lip nervously, so I asked, ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I do not know if King Cahan would like making you work. He has told everybody to take good


    care of you and let you


    recover¡±


    Lignored the warm feeling blossoming in my heart at the thought of him worrying about my well¨Cbeing.


    All of this was a farce. It had to be. I had seen enough fake people in my life.


    I reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ¡°Do not worry. I will tell him it was my idea. That


    way, nobody is forcing me to do anything.¡±


    Drusi pped her hands excitedly, ¡°Great! We have not had any nice event here in forever. King


    Cahan hates parties and balls, so it will be nice that we get a chance to mingle with everyone.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure, when do you and beta Matteo want the ball to be held?¡±


    I asked, and she thought over it for a while. ¡°How about this weekend?¡±


    I was going to let myself heal while working on the event and flee while everybody was busy partying.


    I smiled at her. Freedom was just a few days away from me.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Drusi got up from the table and grabbed my hand. Confused, I asked her. ¡°Where are you taking


    me?¡±


    She replied. ¡°I just don¡¯t want Cal to think I am making his precious girl slog, so you better tell that to


    him upfront.¡±


    Precious girl?


    I blinked and asked. ¡°But did you not say he was in some meeting?¡±


    She shook her head vigorously, her hair flying all around. ¡°Nothing is more important than this. Did you


    look at this ce? This mansion needs some major excitement and this event will infuse some energy


    in this dull, gloomy ce.¡±


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    She kept dragging me and I looked down at myself. I was still wearing my pajamas.


    ¡°At least let me change.¡±


    As much as I wanted to leave, the thought of walking in on a meeting where everybody was seated in


    nice formal attire and me just barging into the room wearing pajamas made me feel a bit weird.


    Drusi said that they had not had any event here in ages and if I walked in demanding to be in charge


    of the event while wearing the night pajamas, what impression would I leave on everybody?


    I pictured them allughing at me, and I resisted Drusi. She turned back to look at me and gave me a


    quick once over.


    She seemed to have forgotten what I was wearing as well.


    ¡°Uh, well, yeah. You do need to change.¡±


    I felt relieved by the fact. I was also stalling for time, wondering what to tell Cahan, so he would listen


    to me and not doubt


    1. me.


    And the fact that I was going to see him again made me nervous all over again.


    For some reason, he both terrified me and made me feel drawn to him. I just did not know how to react


    in front of him.


    So, I needed some time to think and prepare myself. Drusi let go of my hand and pushed me to the


    room I had been sleeping in.


    ¡°Nowe on, go get changed, quickly.¡±


    I bit my lower lip nervously, ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t have anything to change into. I don¡¯t even know who put me in


    these clothes. Perhaps I can borrow something from you if I am not asking too much.¡±


    I said, as she chuckled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Your room is already filled with dresses, shoes, sandals and


    everything as per your


    size.¡±


    My room? Dresses and shoes my size?


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Drusi kept pushing me by the shoulders to the room I had been sleeping in and added, ¡°Well, if you


    did not guess it already¡­¡± She took a pause when we reached the door and opened it before


    continuing.


    ¡°This is your room and everything in here is yours, too.¡±


    She must be joking. Why would the lycan king shower me with such favors if I was a rogue and he


    wanted to punish me sooner orter? What was he trying to do?


    ¡°No, this cannot be true¡±


    I refused, and she added, ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Go ahead. Pick anything and see if it does not fit you.¡±


    I squinted my eyes at her, but she only folded her hands on her chest and urged me to go ahead.


    Nervous, I opened the wardrobe and saw the soft fabrics of various colors hung neatly by the hangers.


    There were dresses of all possible varieties, textures and materials. Some were long, some


    scandalously short, and some I did not even know how to wear.


    I roamed my hands upon them, and my fingers brushed against soft fabrics andces.


    They were all too heavy, and I did not want to go to him all dolled up, so I simply opened another door


    and this one had aplete section of just jeans, then another full of blouses and so on.


    My head began to spin as Drusi chuckled. ¡°There is another wardrobe for your essories to pair up


    with the dresses¡±


    I only looked at her with a slightly open mouth, and she smiled. ¡°Believe me now? Come on, get ready


    now.¡±


    10.00


    I let out a sigh and simply picked blue jeans and a white bouse hastily. ¡°You might have to wait a bit


    because I did not even


    shower


    I said when I took a sniff of my hair. There was possibly dried drool under my chin and I felt that I had


    not showered in an eternity.


    ¡°Oh,e on, now you are just stalling time¡±


    She grumbled, but I only stuck my tongue out teasingly before rushing towards the bathroom. And the


    first thing I noticed yet again was the enormous size.


    Everything here was so big. There was a fullsize mirror, a big bathtub, shower and two sinks with cute


    little lights.


    I looked around warily as I slowly got out of my clothes and hung them by a hook.


    There was a range of bottles ced near the shower, all having different body washes, shower gels


    and whatnot.


    Another line up of bottles was on my right, consisting of shampoos and conditioners.


    I ran my hand through the bottles, feeling amazed. My cabin was smaller than the bathroom I was in


    and I used to go to the shared bathrooms for omegas and servants of the pack back home.


    I used to always get up early and shower in the cold, chilly wind with water droplets that felt as if ice


    was prickling my skin and hurriedly dry myself off to start doing the chores.


    So, this was a stark contrast to the life back home. Again, I could not help but wonder why Cahan


    was being so nice to me:


    I turned the shower on, and the hot water immediately calmed my sore muscles. A feeling of rxation


    swept through me as the hot water flew down my body.


    1 was not even aware of the ache and soreness as I had been too busy eating and then thinking of a


    n.


    Meanwhile, I examined the wounds and scars on my body. My shoulder was stiff but didn¡¯t hurt as


    much and even the wounds had reduced to minor scratches.


    I ignored the other scars and injuries that were on my body, reminders of the way I had been treated


    back home.


    The medicines that had been administered by the Lycan King¡¯s doctor seemed very potent and they


    had healed most of the previous injuries too. Except for a few scars and scabs, I looked rtively okay.


    My corbone was also not that prominent and the bags that had formed under my eyes had also


    visibly reduced.


    All in all, I looked a bit more healthy and less skinny in these two three weeks that I had been lying on


    the bed.


    I guess resting a bit and the medicines had worked their magic. However, I still had trouble walking.


    Before I would wonder why King Cahan was being so nice to me for the hundredth time, I picked up


    a bottle at random andthered myself with the body wash.


    I had forgotten that Drusi was waiting outside for me, but I could not help but indulge in some


    rxation.


    If she left the room after being kept waiting for long, it would be even better. I would not have to go to


    the Lycan king¡¯s office and speak in front of the other pack members.


    The thought was too unnerving to have everybody stare at me. I was not used to attention, and I did


    not want that either. ¡°Drusi¡± I tried calling her out to check if she was still waiting, but she had


    probably left. Feeling happy with myself, I took my time shampooing my hair and scrubbing myself


    before finally turning the shower off.


    After drying myself a little, I wrapped the towel around myself and another on my wet hair. I was feeling


    refreshed, and I kept thinking of how to start the conversation with Cahan and how to make him trust


    me that I was suddenly interested in anything happening in this house.


    The bath had been truly refreshing, and I realized how amazing I felt and smelled now. I could only


    shudder at the thought I had been roaming around like a homeless person who had not had a shower


    in days.


    I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smiled as I began drying myself. I did not even know when I


    had begun to huma song to myself as I twirled and danced in front of the mirror, feeling happy after


    such a long time.


    I walked towards the dressing table and saw a row of bottles for skincare and make¨Cup waiting for me.


    I had seen such stuff at Luna Celeste¡¯s dressing table, but even her stuff did not look as exquisite as


    the one in front of me.


    I marveled at all the elegance and finery around me, but most of all, after a long time, I was not feeling


    sad.


    And while I was lost in my own world, singing and dancing merrily, I was not even aware that someone


    unexpected was already waiting for me.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Cahan


    The meeting was going for an eternity and I longed to get out of the meeting room. But it was important


    that I stay there.


    A few select alphas were seated across therge conference room along the huge oval shape table.


    I was seated on the far right while the alphas were all seated on the left, huddled together in a group for


    me to clearly see


    them all.


    ¡°King Cahan, the smaller packs are getting very restless after thest rogue attack. The news spread


    through the kingdom like wildfire.¡±


    I kept twirling the paperweight with my hand on the table, deep in thought.


    Another one added, ¡°Yes, your majesty. They are quite shaken and restless. We have also received


    news that the rogues are trying to lure the smaller packs in joining them.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°And do what?¡± I asked as the alpha suddenly straightened up to have received my attention.


    He leaned forward and began narrating excitedly. ¡°Rumor is that the rogues are threatening the smaller


    packs to join them. and instigate them against you. If the smaller packs dont listen, then they try to lure


    them by promising wealth and luxury after¡­¡±


    He trailed off, but I probed, ¡°after what?¡±


    He gulped nervously. ¡°After the curse takes its effect.¡±


    I let out a mirthless chuckle. ¡°So after I die. Good to know¡±


    They all fell deadly silent, and the alpha would not even look at me.


    My gamma, Elijah, who had just returned from a special


    trip I had sent him to, tried to intervene.


    ¡°My King, this is not a joke. We have to find a cure soon and also silence these rogues.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    While we were discussing this, the door to the meeting room flew open. Drusi stepped in and looked


    straight at me, her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Are you going to let me have that ball or not?¡±


    She added, huffing like a mad bull. I squinted my eyes as she looked around and only now realized that


    she had walked in on a room full of people.


    The alphas all stared at her as she lowered her hands and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Uh, I am sorry. I


    thought it was only Elijah and Matteo here.¡±


    However, the bird was out of the nest.


    ¡°Ball?¡±


    ¡°Are we having a ball?¡±


    ¡°Is that the mate ball?¡±


    The alphas began discussing excitedly within themselves, and I shook my head. These so¨Ccalled


    warriors and brave men who had been discussing killing rogues just a minute ago melted at the thought


    of having a ball.


    I raised an eyebrow at them. ¡°Were we all not thinking about how to silence the rogues?¡±


    The alpha who had been talking to me spoke again when the others signalled him to be their


    spokesperson,


    ¡°Uh, well, Miss Drusi has a very noble idea. If you instruct the packs in your stern andmanding


    voice, they will only listen half¨Cheartedly. But, if we have some sort of event, it will make them feel


    wee and show them that you are truly listening to their pleas.¡±


    When I did not instantly reject the idea, he added, ¡°Plus, it will be a good chance for us to find our


    mates. Some of us are still waiting to find a luna. The smaller packs will automatically feel more loyalty


    towards you than rogites.¡±


    1 mmed my hand upon


    the table, ¡°There will be no mating ball. Do you all think of nothing except mates?¡±


    The alpha immediately crouched back and tried to disappear into the chair. A few threw helpless


    nces to Drusi, who


    tried to intervene.


    ¡°Uh, your¡­your breeder wants to be a part of the ball too. In fact, she even wants to arrange it so that


    everybody gets a chance to mingle.¡±


    Breeder? I did not have any breeders.


    Drusi shrieked like a little girl as I stepped out of the meeting room of my office and headed straight


    to her room.


    The door to her room was closed, so I knocked, but there was no answer. After knocking again and


    waiting for a while, I slowly pushed the door open.


    Had she just tried to run away? I remembered how she had tried to walk toward the hospital door of her


    room but copsed on the ground after a few steps.


    Was she hurt?


    She was nowhere to be seen as I stepped inside and looked around. And I was about to call her name


    when she stepped out of the bathroom¡­ wearing nothing but a towel.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Cahan


    Zenovia was adjusting the towel on her head and she was humming a tune to herself as she walked


    forward, oblivious to the fact that I was standing right there.


    She was in her own world as she was wrapping the towel around her hair, but my eyes could not help


    but roam all over her figure.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    She looked so cute and sexy at the same time, and I felt my cock twitch in my pants at the thought that


    she was wearing nothing except that towel.


    My naughtly Lycan began to share indecent thoughts with me.


    My breath caught in my throat as I witnessed her emergence, her radiant presence illuminating the


    room. The sunlight. danced upon her damp skin, transforming it into a golden cascade that tugged at


    my heartstrings.


    I had entered the room a moment ago, intending to speak to her, but I found myself frozen in awe,


    unable to tear my eyes


    Time seemed to slow as I took in every detail, mesmerized by her ethereal beauty. The gentle curves of


    her body, the delicate contours of her face¨Ceach feature was a masterpiece, etched into my mind


    forever.


    The towel clung to her body as she gazed at herself in the mirror on the wall, leaving tantalizing


    glimpses of her wless skin. Drops of water adorned her corbone, glistening like diamonds, while


    her luscious lips curved into a soft smile.


    My heart pounded in my chest, overwhelmed by the way she was happily nodding and tilting her head,


    humming a tune to


    herself.


    In all these days that I had seen her, she was either petrified, asleep, or angry. So, it was a delight to


    see her smile and be happy.


    She was still not aware of my presence and I should have cleared my throat rather than staring at her


    so unabashedly, but I did not want to rm her while she kept dancing and roaming around carefree.


    I simply wanted to keep looking at her smiling face and the way she moved, her body swaying to the


    tune that left her lips.


    Her bare feet tread softly on the floor, leaving behind traces of moisture as she moved. The air was


    infused with the scent of her freshly washed hair, a fragrance that intoxicated me. I yearned to run my


    fingers through those damp strands, to feel their silkiness against my skin.


    And I also noticed a hundred or so scars on her body, a few darker than others.


    Were those from the ident and the chase? Or from before? I should have focused on them but I was


    too busy gawking at her slender figure and her warrior spirit.


    She was bruised and battered, yet she was in her element and singing and dancing without a care in


    the world.


    This girl was a mysterious puzzle to me, one I wanted to take my time to slowly unravel piece by piece.


    But as I took a step forward, fate intervened. She was dancing to herself and was circling around but


    the door decided to creak and she turned around while still dancing merrily, her hands in the air.


    Zenovia turned on her heels, her eyes widening in surprise as she discovered me standing there,


    caught in a moment of vulnerability.


    The air thickened with anticipation as our gazes locked, and I suddenly felt that I should ask her to


    continue ignoring my existence for a while.


    I had the mad urge to close the distance and capture her pink lips in mine, but I stopped myself.


    She looked at me with wide eyes, and my gaze dipped to her slightly parted lips again.


    It took her a minute to realize she was standing just in a towel and her hands were up in the air. She


    quickly brought them down and began tugging at her towel to pull it down as well.


    It was barely covering her thighs and giving me a nice view of her long, slender legs. A deep red blush


    appeared on her face as she saw me and kept thinking about what to do next.


    My heart swelled at her innocence, and I failed to hide my smile.


    ¡°You dance well,¡± I said to fill in the awkward silence and then cursed myself for blurting out stupidly.


    Zenovia only blinked and managed to say in a small voice, ¡°Lubh¡­thanks¡±


    ¡°What song was it that you were humming? I don¡¯t quite recall it¡± I asked to ease the tension and was


    happy that I had not blurted something awkward again.


    Pushing a stray lock of curl behind her ear that had escaped the towel, she replied,


    ¡°Uh, well, it is not a song per se but more of a luby that my mother used to sing to me. I just changed


    it to add a few words. here and there as I grew up and forgot some of the lyrics.¡±


    She answered while being hyperaware of my presence. And it was taking me a great deal of effort to


    not let my gaze slip. below her face.


    ¡°I came here because Drusi told me that you wanted to talk to me about something.¡± I managed to


    speak without sounding like a frog.


    Zenovia was frozen to the spot, but she slowly began inching towards the bed, walking sideways like


    she was terrified of moving freely.


    ¡°Ah, yes, about that. I did want to speak to you.¡±


    I nodded my head, unbuttoning the topmost button of my shirt and waving my hands in front of my face.


    ¡°It is so hot right now.¡±


    I spoke and wanted to do something with my hands that were itching to touch her, so I turned in the


    direction of the window and pulled the curtains close.


    ¡°There¡­.that should help a bit,¡± I spoke, and I saw that in that time, she had already run towards the


    bed and had pulled the sheets up to cover herself.


    1 furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I asked her and she replied, ¡°I¡­I feel shy¡± She said and blushed again.


    I rubbed a finger on my temple and muttered, ¡°well then I will take your leave and maybe you cane


    to my office when you are ready.¡±


    She nodded, and I was about to step out of the room when she spoke.


    ¡°Wait, I want to thank you.¡±


    I waved ¦° hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me for leaving your room.¡± But she raised herself a bit and


    spoke,


    ¡°No, I did not mean that. Well, I kind of also did. But I meant for giving me this.¡±


    ¡°Giving you what?¡± I asked softly as she looked down at the sheets and fumbled with it.


    ¡°All of this, the room, clothes. Drusi told me you picked everything that would fit my size.¡±


    I thrust my hands in my pockets, as they would not stop moving.


    Trying to appear confident, I replied, ¡°Oh, yes. Well, you were passed out for almost two weeks and


    then some more and we did not know when you will wake up to ask you for your personal preferences.


    So, I just threw in everything I thought would look good on you.¡±


    She nodded meekly, and I added, ¡°Just don¡¯t feel so nervous. I want you to be open andmunicate


    well with me. We started off on the wrong foot.¡±


    Zenovia knotted with the sheets, her fingers fidgeting with it.


    ¡°My¡­my family sold me to you, offered me to you, andbeled me a traitor. I am many things, King


    Cahan. I am an omega, a bastard child, a wolfless girl and a weakling¡­but I am not a traitor. I did


    not sell any information to any rogue. Hell, I was not even allowed in any official meetings of the pack.¡±


    She said, and I saw her eyes getting moist.


    ¡°You are still alive and breathing, aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°But why would you trust me when my own father did not?¡± She cried, and I saw fat drops of tears spill


    out of her dove like


    eyes.


    I closed the distance between us and was not even aware when I had stepped forward to cup her face.


    Zenovia shivered at the unexpected contact and went deathly still.


    ¡°They provided enough proof and evidence against you. But, I think somebody is fooling them and me


    both. So, except for my trusted warriors, and Drusi, I have not shared your identity with anybody else


    for your safety. Others only know you were found running in the forest and met with an ident


    involving my car.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± She asked, ¡°I have been trying to think of multiple theories of why you have


    not killed me already and it is driving me insane. Either you are toying with me and you will y with


    me until you get bored and then kill me or you simply want me as¡­¡±


    I squitned my eyes, ¡°As what?¡±


    She sniffed, ¡°I know what omegas and rogue females are used for¡­we are only suited to be sex toys


    or breeders. Is that the reason why you are keeping me alive?¡±


    My face hardened with a tinge of disappointment. ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    My tone was a bit usatory, and I saw the way her lips trembled.


    I shook my head and got up from the bed, ¡°I think I have an urgent meeting to attend¡­¡±


    However, something soft touched my wrist and stopped me.


    But then when I turned around, I saw her hand holding mine. And my eyes went wide as she let go of


    the sheets and the towel slipped away.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Zenovia


    I was humming to myself after having that invigorating shower and was feeling extremely nice and


    refreshed after a long


    time.


    To be honest, I had never had such a nice shower after I was reduced to an omega in my own pack.


    So, I was dancing around when I saw the King watching me from a few feet away. And all of the anger I


    had been feeling for him melted away in that instant.


    He was all muscles and elegance, dressed in a simple blue button down shirt and ck pants, but he


    looked every bit of the King he was and his golden eyes were simply mesmerizing to look at.


    And the fact that he had not simply pushed himself upon me made me want to put my trust in him just a


    little bit.


    My brain did not quite agree to the idea, but my body was already reacting to his presence and I had


    not failed to notice the way his eyes had roamed all over my naked skin.


    It made me flush with heat, but I reminded myself that I was a fool to even imagine the possibility of


    anybody wanting me. That confusion alongwith the way I had heard of omegas being used for pleasure


    and sex made me blurt out my doubts to him out loud


    But it seemed that he was offended, so I hastily tried to stop him, but at that exact moment the towel¡¯s


    knot loosened and it slipped down from my bare body.


    I gave a startled cry and stupidly got up to ce a hand on his eyes to stop him from seeing me instead


    of doing a sensible thing and picking up the sheet again to hide myself.


    I almost jumped up to close his eyes and my foot got caught in the sheets, making me throw myself at


    him.


    My mouth turned into a big O as he stumbled back and his hands wrapped around my waist to hold me


    in ce.


    I should have given a startled cry, a hysterical shriek, but my body was not prepared to feel his


    calloused hands on my waist. and the sound that left my lips was more of a moan.


    We fell on the bed, me on top of him with his hands around me and my face inches away from his. At


    this point, I was not sure what to do.


    Cahan¡¯s eyes were still looking into mine, and the brush of his rough, calloused hands against my


    soft skin felt heavenly.


    I was lying stark naked on top of the most ferocious lycan on this and instead of feeling terrified,


    I was feeling aroused.


    I hated the way my body reacted to his touch, and I wanted to take control back before it was toote.


    There was a small smile ying on his lips as I tried to speak. ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    I tried to speak authoritatively, and his grin turned even wider.


    I red at him or tried to, as my nipples turned so hard I could feel them straining against the fabric of


    his shirt.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± He asked me huskily, and I smacked my hand upon his shoulder.


    ¡°Close your eyes!!¡± I repeated in a bit firmer tone, and he obliged.


    ¡°Alright, miss¡± He did as asked in the next second, though that stupid grin was still stered on his


    face.


    I rolled my eyes at him but quickly gathered the sheets and the towel and wrapped them around me as


    if I was a delicate shipment that needed tonnes of bubble wrap.


    ¡°Now go out and let me get dressed,¡± I said as I pushed away from him, crouching on the opposite side


    of the bed.


    His hands reluctantly let go of me as he asked, ¡°Can I atleast open my eyes? I don¡¯t want to be jumped


    upon again for no fault of mine.¡±


    ¡°I did not jump upon you,¡± I said in an irritated voice, trying to force my body to stop craving his touch.


    Cahan propped his elbow on the bed and looked at me. ¡°Yes, you did, and you liked it¡±


    He said as he smoothed the creases on his shirt and attempted to wipe away the moisture that had


    gotten absorbed from my hair.


    ¡°Is that how you woo girls? Doing something and saying ¡®you liked it?¡±


    I shot back, trying to hide the way my heart was raging in my chest. But he was just smiling at me as if


    my words amused him instead of making him angry.


    1 rolled my eyes and put some more distance between himself and me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see anything, right?¡± I asked nervously, and he tried hard to notugh. The effort was visible


    on his face and it made me want to smack him.


    ¡°I did¡± He nodded, and I felt my heart thundering against my ribcage.


    This was mortifying. I buried my head in my hands and just wanted the earth to swallow me whole.


    He had seen me dance and jump around in nothing but a towel and then, like an idiot, I had somehow


    fallen stark naked on top of him and he was still not touching me.


    That was a good thing. But why was my body not liking it?


    If he did not want me as a breeder or somebody to warm his bed every night, then why else would he


    shower me with all this luxury?


    ¡°Just shut up and leave.¡±


    I said, trying to hide my nervousness and appear bold. He merely squinted his eyes at me and I


    immediately corrected myself, ¡°I mean, can you please leave, your majesty?¡±


    He nodded his head and spoke, ¡°That is more like it. We can be respectful to each other if we tried, you


    know.¡±


    With that, he walked outside and reached the door. His hand rested on the doorknob, and he was


    about to softly close the door behind himself when he turned to look at me.


    ¡°What was the thing your mother used to say?¡± Cahan asked, and 1 furrowed my eyebrows, unsure


    of why he was suddenly talking about my deceased mother.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I blurted out.


    His hand stayed on the doorknob but he continued, ¡°Of not attacking someone behind their back?¡±


    Cahan probed, and I pushed a lock of hair behind my ears. Fidgeting with my fingers, I answered,


    ¡°Uh, yes, she said that a true warrior was honorable and killing someone, even your enemy, behind


    their back was almost like being a coward.¡±


    King Cahan nodded his head. ¡°I never met her but I think our thought process is quite simr¡±


    He was ying with the doorknob as he was mulling over something. His eyes danced from left to right


    as I guessed he was recalling some past incident and, at the same time, wondering how much of it to


    tell me.


    I waited for him to speak and also took that opportunity to calm my raging heart. He took such a long


    pause that I could not stand the awkward silence around us anymore.


    So, I carefully asked in a neutral voice, ¡°But why did you suddenly remember that?¡±


    He left the doorknob and began ying with the sleeve button of his shirt.


    ¡°You have been asking me why I did not kill you already, right?¡±


    I nodded impatiently, wondering what my mother had to do with it. The Lycan King kept toying with the


    button as he continued.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Every person lives by certain values and morals that he does not break under any circumstance. At


    least, most don¡¯t. And 1 respect such people.¡±


    He pushed his hands in his pant pockets and continued, ¡°Let me tell you a story.¡±


    ¡°When I was roaming through the forest, looking for rogues¡­I came across a little cub. The cub was


    scared, hurt and crying. The rogues were probably after the cub and the little one was trying hard to run


    away from them and was fighting for his


    life.¡±


    My face fell instantly at that, and I dreaded how this was going to end.


    My lips trembled as he continued, ¡°And this little cub identally stumbled against me. The little one


    looked at me worriedly, his clothes battered and his body covered in bruises. But before I could ask him


    if he was okay or even get him to say his name¡­he passed out.¡±


    I had been slouching on the bed, but immediately got up on my knees but held the sheets around me


    firmly in ce. ¡°And he was very injured, he was bleeding, he had several broken limbs, and it looked


    like he would never survive. So, I did the best thing, I could¡­.I ended the little guy¡¯s misery by


    delivering the final blow.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lasked him in utter disbelief. My eyes were wide and I could not help but shout at him.¡±


    Tears trickled out of my eyes as I punched my fingers in the air, as if I was jabbing at his chest.


    ¡°How could you? That poor cub was weak and terrified he¡­ he looked at you with hope¡­and probably


    passed when it saw you. You are the King of this kingdom and it is your duty to protect the weak and


    the innocent¡­¡±


    out in relief


    I kept rambling on and on but King Cahan never interrupted me. There was a small smile on his lips


    as he seemed to have invoked a reaction from me.


    Something was wrong. ¡°You did not kill the cub, did you?¡± I asked, and he shook his head, still smiling.


    And it


    was then that it finally dawned on me.


    I was the cub he had found in the woods. That was his answer to why he had not killed me..

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Zenovia


    I kept staring at Cahan¨Cnkly as he pulled the door close while muttering, ¡°I hope that was enough


    of an answer¡± The door fell shut softly as I heard his receding footsteps.


    I fell on the bed again, lost in thought at what had just happened. I was amazed at the way he had


    gotten his point across.


    I recalled the day I had run away from Sid and his men, worried for my safety and life, getting scratched


    and thinking this was thest day of my life when I had identally bumped into Cahan¡¯s car.


    He had run out of his car and held me in his arms protectively. And, I had passed out just like the cub in


    his sotry. Had I looked at him with relief when I saw him? I had been too exhausted and weak to take


    just one more step. And Cahan had not only provided me with medical care and attention, but also


    comfort and luxury.


    So, ording to him, his ideals were to not hurt the sick and weak? That seemed nice, and I was


    almost going to sag in relief when another disturbing thought popped up in my head.


    He did not like taking someone out like a coward. So, was he going to heal mepletely, ensure that


    I was healthy and


    then kill me?


    Isn¡¯t that what humans did to the wrongdoers? They never executed the sick or weak but treated them


    well and only executed them when they were healthy, as it was against their moral code to kill someone


    when he was weak.


    My heart began to thunder wildly at that thought.


    Yes, that was what he was doing. He had called me a cub, so surely that theory fit perfectly.


    I was a sacrificialmb for him. He was going to raise me, feed me with delicious food, and care for him


    until I was big and healthy enough to be sacrificed.


    I shuddered at that thought and was relieved that I had finally worked it out. But instead of letting worry


    cloud my judgement, I began to direct my attention towards the n.


    I had to make him believe that I was thankful for saving me. I had to gain his trust so that he would let


    me roam around freely and everybody would grow less suspicious of me. And when the time was right


    and nobody was looking, I would sneak out, never to be seen again.


    I smiled at myself and let go of the sheets. Walking towards the wardrobe, I pulled out a simple jeans


    and a full sleeves cream colored blouse, paired it with in white shoes and headed out.


    Smoothing my hair with my fingers, I kept walking through the passageway and climbed down the


    stairs.


    I was adjusting the strap of my dress when I reached the floor and bumped into someone.


    I would have fallen but somebody stopped my fall, ¡°Oh sorry, I did not see you there¡±


    A tall and handsome man said to me with a smile. He gently help me straighten and I mumbled, ¡°I


    should be the one who apologizes. I was not paying attention.¡±


    The man chuckled as he wove a hand through his dark, silky hair. He was cute and seemed very


    friendly.


    Extending a hand, he introduced himself, ¡°Hello, I am Elijah, gamma to King Cahan.¡±


    I hesitated a second before taking his hand in mine and lightly shaking it.


    ¡°I am Zenovia. King Cahan¡¯s¡­¡±


    I began, but trailed off. What was I to him? He had never told me that?


    Sacrificialmb, breeder, traitor¡­.there were so many ways to introduce myself. I bit my lower lip


    nervously, wondering. what to answer when he shricked.


    ¡°Oh my God, I am finally meeting the star Zenovia everybody has been gushing about since forever¡±


    I threw him a confused look. Who was talking about me?


    He gave me a low bow and added, ¡°I am honored to meet you, Miss Zenovia¡±


    I nodded and smiled, ¡°The pleasure is mine.¡±


    ¡°Were you looking for someone? I could help you with whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am not sure where King Cahan¡¯s office is. I wished to talk to him about the mate ball.¡±


    Elijah whooped his hand in the air. ¡°Yes! So Drusi was not lying to me. You see, she is quite the


    prankster.¡±


    He jumped excitedly and I could not help but chuckle at his childlike glee.


    ¡°Well, that depends on whether the King allows me to be a part of the preparations.¡±


    Elijah smiled. ¡°Oh, we all are going to make him convince.¡±


    I nodded, and we began walking towards Cahan¡¯s office. He seemed to be busy talking to someone,


    so we waited outside.


    The blinds were partly drawn, and I could not help but take a peek inside. Cahan was seated on a


    chair and was looking intently at someone.


    I tried craning my neck further to see who it was. And my eyes fell on a beautiful girl who was seated


    opposite him.


    She had one hand resting on the armrest while another on her knee. She was wearing a short dress


    and her long, slender legs were almost touching Cahan¡¯s shoes. Her hair fell in elegant waves upon


    her shoulder as sheughed at something.


    The two appeared to be talking to each other politely, and I even saw Cahan smile at her once or


    twice.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Suddenly, I became self¨Caware of the dress I was wearing. I should have chosen something more


    appealing instead of dressing so inly.


    But then I mentally scolded myself. Why did I care of what Cahan thought of my dress?


    I shook my head, and Elijah gently tapped on my shoulder. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡± I blinked and then added, ¡°Yeah, I¡­I am fine¡±


    He had brought a cup of coffee and handed it over to me.


    ¡°Are you sure? You look a little pale.¡± Elijah observed, and I gave him a small smile.


    ¡°I am just nervous.¡±


    He immediately came to stand beside me and spoke in a soft voice, ¡°Hey, Zen¡­.can I call you Zen?¡±


    I nodded, and he continued, ¡°Listen, Zen. Cahan is a nice guy. He is not going to bite your head off


    for just wanting to help.¡±


    I gulped and could not help but cast a nce in the direction of his office. The girl was now leaning


    forward and had ced. a hand on Cahan¡¯s hand and was murmuring something softly.


    It was hard to see her face as her hair fell forward, blocking my view of his face, but from this angle,


    they seemed close, too close.


    My idiotic brain decided to remind me of the way Cahan had kissed me and I felt goosebumps spring


    up all over my


    skin.


    The coffee cup dropped from my hand and I fumbled, ¡°I¡­I think I am feeling sick¡±


    Elijah called out to me, but I could not stand there anymore, not with Cahan kissing that girl and


    doing God knows what


    else.


    I tried to swallow the tears that were threatening to leak and dabbed my eyes quickly.


    Elijah came running towards me and stopped me.


    ¡°Zen, what is the matter? Did I do something?¡±


    I shook my head. I was not even sure what I was feeling or why. It was not as if I had any im on


    Cahan or that I could. even dream of him.


    Yet, I was beginning to feel things for him, things I had never felt for anyone. It was too confusing.


    ¡°No¨Cnothing. I think I am still a little sick,¡± 1 mumbled, and then I heard the door of the office open.


    The lock clicked softly and Cahan stepped out, dressed in the same blue shirt and ck pants I had


    seen him in a while


    ago.


    He looked at Elijah and me, and his gaze fell on our joined hands. His eyes furrowed as he asked,


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Elijah turned to look at him and replied, ¡°Not really, King. I think Zen just got cold feet.¡±


    ¡°Zen?¡±


    Cahan asked pointedly, and I sniffed as his gaze went back to Elijah, who was still holding my hand.


    ¡°Yes, her. She wanted to talk to you about the ball but suddenly got nervous and wanted to run away,


    so I was trying to


    calm her.¡±


    ¡°A ball? Are we having a mate ball?¡±


    An unknown, feminine voice asked. I looked up to see the same girl who was inside Cahan¡¯s office


    step out to see what


    was going on.


    She was extremely beautiful, had perfectly painted nails, and her heels clicked softly against the floor.


    The girl¡¯s gaze fell on me and she gave me a quick once over before turning her attention to Cahan.


    ¡°Did you finally agree to have a mate ball, Cal?¡± She scooted near him and her hand almost brushed


    his.


    ¡°Not really, Cynthia.¡±


    She took his hand in her own and held it, giving it a gentle squeeze.


    And I felt like squeezing her neck hard, and choking her to death.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Zenovia


    ¡°Oh please, it will be fun. Let us have some fun. We have to go to the human city for partying and


    enjoyment every time.¡± Another re of jealousy shot up in my heart at the way she was casually


    holding his hand and standing so close to him. Her breasts were almost brushing his chest, and she


    was looking at him with a lot of expectations. Cahan did not appear to mind her being so close,


    either.


    Maybe they had been really making out before I smashed the coffee cup to ruin their moment.


    I looked away and reminded myself that I had no right to feel the way I was feeling. He was the Lycan


    King, had not yet. found his fated or chosen mate, so he was free to do whatever he wanted.


    Cahan slowly pulled his hand away and replied, ¡°We will see Cynthia. Now, I have a few more


    meetings to attend.¡±


    She frowned a little, but quickly put up a cheerful smile. ¡°Sure. But you work a lot. Remember to take


    some rest too, okay?¡±


    Cahan nodded as she stepped away from him and spoke, ¡°Call me when you are free¡±


    He only smiled, and she took one more step away, but her feet fell on one of the broken chips of the


    cup and she slipped. Cynthia would have fallen on the floor if Cahan would not have caught her right


    away. His hands slunk around her waist, and she gave a startled cry.


    ¡°Oh sorry, I did not see that¡±


    Cahan smiled and helped her straighten up. ¡°No problem¡±


    She let her hand linger on his shoulder as he pulled her up and her ankle somehow twisted and she


    slipped again.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Cynthia gave a nervous smile and Cahan gripped her once again. They collided on the wall


    behind them and her body smacked on the King¡¯s as she pushed her hair back.


    ¡°This is so embarrassing. I am truly sorry¡± Cynthia mumbled, her hand trailing from his shoulder to his


    palm as he slowly made her stand on his feet again.


    ¡°Maybe you need some sleep¡±


    Cynthia chuckled, ¡°I think so¡±


    I rolled my eyes at the scene and could not help but notice Cynthia¡¯s reluctance to let go of Cahan.


    But she could not linger around longer and looked down so as to not step on the spilled cup again.


    Cynthia said and walked inside the office to grab her purse. She stepped out only a momentter and


    stopped to whisper, ¡°See you soon¡± and walked away.


    I only blinked at the way she was swaying her hips while walking away from him, her hair bouncing in


    the air.


    King Cahan looked at me and Elijah and said, ¡°Yes,e in¡±


    Elijah mouthed, ¡°All the best¡± to me, and I nodded as he let go of my hand. King Cahan stepped into


    the office and 1 followed suit a momentter.


    If I had to describe the office in one word, I would only say ¡®elegance¡±


    It was modern, sleek with tasteful furniture, huge windows, soft tones of grey and white with a pop of


    color here and there to not make it look dull.


    His office was probably as big as the dining hall.


    Cahan walked towards therge mahogany desk that had files and other stationery, but went to


    stand near the window.


    He put his hands in his pockets and looked outside therge ss windows, doubling up as walls.


    ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡±


    Cahan asked, while he seemed to be thinking about something else.


    ¡°I just wanted to be thankful for everything. And, I thought that helping organize the event will be a


    small gesture to repay the favor¡±


    Cahan turned his head to look at me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Repay the favor?¡±


    I hastily added, ¡°I mean, I cannot thank you for all the riches and facilities, even if I were to work all my


    life and give every single penny to you.¡±


    He did not say anything, but turned his attention back to the window.


    ¡°Fine. Everybody has been eating my head either way. So let us do it¡±


    I blinked.


    I had been thinking of ways to convince him, and how tomunicate properly of what I envisioned,


    but he gave his agreement¡­just like that.


    ¡°Eh, okay,¡± I said, not knowing what else to say.


    I fumbled with my fingers and wondered how to fill the awkward silence as he kept looking outside.


    I felt a sting of pain in my hand and looked down, but saw blood blossoming on my finger.


    ¡°Ah¡± I winced and held up my hand to examine what was wrong. Apparently, a very little chip of the cup


    had managed to slice my finger and had gotten stuck in it.


    I had just not realized it because I was too busy gawking at Cynthia throwing herself at Cahan.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He muttered absent mindedly and I looked at me.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± He looked as I hastily put my finger in my mouth.


    He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me in confusion.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I imagined how I must look to him- a grown up girl with her finger in her mouth. I pulled my hand out


    and put it behind my back.


    ¡°No¨Cnothing. When do you want the ball to be held?¡±


    I asked and he replied, ¡°I am not sure. I never gave much thought to balls and parties. Maybe the


    coming weekend?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Sure, sounds great!¡±


    Cahan rubbed his temple and returned to gaze out of the window. He looked troubled and lost.


    The words tumbled out of my mouth even before I could take them back.


    ¡°Is something worrying you?¡±


    Cahan let out a deep sigh and replied, ¡°A lot of things are weighing down on my mind. And it just


    gets too exhausting at


    times.¡±


    He mumbled, mostly to himself.


    I nodded sympathetically, ¡°I can only imagine. Being a King and taking all these decisions must be hard


    to do day in and day out.¡±


    He gave a mirthless chuckle, ¡°It is a thankless job, you know. No matter how much you try, you just


    cannot make everybody happy.¡±


    I wondered where he was going with this discussion. He seemed to be deep in thought and was not


    even paying attention.


    to our chat.


    Not that I was of any importance to him. Maybe, if Cynthia was around he would look her in the eye


    and stand close to her instead of staring into the distance.


    I shoved that thought away and hesitantly added, ¡°I¡­I will take your leave. I will start with the


    preparations then.¡±


    I hastily ran towards the door and opened it but in my haste, I jabbed that same finger into the handle


    and another wince. escaped my lips.


    I had opened the door and my leg was raised to step out but I felt a hand stop me. I looked behind and


    saw Cahan standing near me, his hand holding mine.


    A fresh current of electricity bolted from the point where he touched me and my nerves tingled at the


    spark.


    He held my hand in his and examined the finger as blood oozed out of the wound again.


    ¡°Oh, that is why you put your finger in your mouth,¡± He mumbled while he looked at the finger.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°It is nothing, really¡± I tried to pull my hand away but before I knew he had walked back to the desk and


    was holding a


    tweezer in his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, okay¡± He said and plucked the very minute chip off my finger and said, ¡°There you go¡±


    He smiled at me and added, ¡°Now it is gone¡±


    I should have thanked him, but I was busy gawking at his handsome face and not trying to dissolve in a


    puddle..


    Had the Lycan king just shown gentleness? To me?


    His hand was still holding mine, and I did not want to leave his side. What was wrong with me?


    I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and mumbled, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Cahan let go of my hand and mumbled, ¡°Sorry, I just had something else on my mind. So, you came


    here to talk about the preparations?¡±


    I nodded my head as he said. ¡°Then you are not leaving. We have a lot to do¡±


    And I med my mind foring up with scandalous thoughts once again that had nothing to do with


    the preparations and everything with how it would feel if his hands roamed over my body.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    I gulped nervously as Cahan closed the door behind me. The door fell shut with a soft click and I


    could not help but suddenly realize that it was just us two in here.


    ¡°Take a seat¡± He pointed to one of the many chairs as he walked towards his desk.


    I look around and found a notepad and pen lying on the desk. ¡°May I?¡± I asked, and he nodded.


    I took it, mostly to give my hands something to do than fidget nervously. I clicked the pen and asked,


    ¡°So, everybody tells me you do not love parties or fun. What type of event are you looking forward to in


    that case?¡± King Cahan pulled his big, plush chair and sat in it as I opened the notepad, waiting to


    scribble.


    ¡°I am not sure but something that makes everybody stop eating my head¡±


    Okay, that was not the response I was expecting.


    ¡°Hmm, why do you hate socializing?¡± I asked, and he furrowed his eyebrows,


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate socializing.¡±


    I repeated. ¡°I think you do¡±


    Cahan ced his hands on the table and countered, ¡°Did you not see the dozen or so people who


    were in a meeting with me?¡±


    I shook my head as he mumbled, ¡°Oh right, you did not. You were too busy dancing¡­in a towel.¡±


    I looked away from him as I recalled the moment I had been doing my little happy dance and somehow


    ended


    my stomach. on top of him. That memory was still enough to make butterflies riot in


    I did not look up but merely threw in another question so that he would not borate on that towel


    dance again. ¡°Either way, would you want the event to be held here or somewhere else?¡±


    up naked


    Cahan considered it, ¡°Maybe, the front open grounds should be ideal. We can have it in the evening


    so not everybody is packed under the roof.¡±


    I scribbled on my notepad ¨C he hates partying.


    I gave him a smile and looked up. ¡°Great, anything that you absolutely don¡¯t want to happen in the


    event. Like something you hate?¡±


    Cahan scratched his chin, ¡°Loud music. Please keep it soft¡±


    I wrote down- he is boring.


    This was helping me calm down my nervousness and frustration.


    For the next few minutes, I asked him various questions about his choices and preferences, likes and


    dislikes and he answered me without looking annoyed.


    However, from time to time, he seemed to slip in some other world and mull over about something.


    We chatted for a while as I got to know more about him. King Cahan did not have many friends as far


    as I gathered, he liked to keep to himself but adored his beta, gamma and Drusi.


    He was wealthy, extremely wealthy and was a self¨Cmade man. King Cahan was as ruthless to the


    rogues and his enemies. as he was kind to his pack.


    I had never thought of him to be anything but a growling, angry man hulk so seeing him talk about his


    people with care was unexpected for me.


    ¡°Ok now if we talk about colors, what color co¨Cordination or themes would you want for the event?¡±


    He was twirling a pen in his hand and answered, ¡°I am not sure. How about ck?¡±


    I blinked at him.


    ¡°ck? We are not going to somebody¡¯s funeral, you know.¡±


    He gave me a look and asked, ¡°Well then you tell me what you have in mind.¡±


    I tapped the end of the pen on my chin and muttered, ¡°softer shades of pink and white along with some


    flowers here and


    there would be nice.¡±


    The look he gave me when I said pink was almost as if I had asked him to strip for me.


    Which by the way, was not too bad at all as an alternative.


    I shook my head as he muttered, ¡°Pink?¡±


    I nodded my head and said, ¡°Of course, pink. It is a ball¡­a mating ball for Goddess sake, pink and red


    are the colors of


    love.¡±


    Cahan stopped twirling his pen and gave me an even look.


    ¡°Love? You believe in that?¡±


    His gaze was hot, piercing and I felt unnerved by his stare. ¡°Of course I do. Why else would the moon


    Goddess give us


    mates.¡±


    Cahan shrugged and replied, ¡°I am not sure, maybe she is running a marriage bureau or something


    up in the clouds.¡±


    I was appalled at this guy. He was making fun of the moon Goddess, a deity we all revered.


    ¡°Just because you can¡¯t love somebody does not mean the world is devoid of it. It is like saying the


    world does not need choctes because I hate it.¡±


    My fingers curled around the pen and I kept clicking it anxiously. He noticed my furstrtiaon but still


    continued,


    ¡°I can¡¯t love someone? What makes you so sure of that?¡±


    I took a breath to calm my nerves as his gaze held me in ce. I felt transfixed as his golden eyes


    stared straight at me, right into my soul.


    I shivered and felt queasy and felt my hands suddenly grow mmy.


    I fumbled, ¡°I¡­I said ¡®don¡¯t¡­just because you don¡¯t love someone does not mean nobody needs it¡­¡±


    But Cahan was not buying it. He got up from his chair and walked past therge desk toe and


    directly stand in front


    of me.


    He was already quite tall so with me seated on the chair and him standing in front of me, it felt as if I


    was gazing at the tip of arge tower.


    Cahan slowly lowered his head, and ced his hands on the armrests of the chair I had been seated


    on.


    He brought his face at eye¨Clevel with me and I gulped nervously.


    Cahan looked like a lion to me, both handsome and deadly, a fierce predator who was mesmerizing


    to look at but also very dangerous to attract attention of


    I saw the light stubble on his jaw and my hand suddenly itched to brush the pad of my finger against it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t¡­¡± He breathed and I blinked furiously.


    Had he just read my mind and told me no, he can¡¯t allow me to touch his face?


    Thanfkully, before I would ask him what he meant and bbered something sheepishly, he added,


    ¡°You said ¡®you can¡¯t love someone¡® not ¡®you don¡¯t love someone¡­why is that?¡±


    He asked, his face a hair¡¯s breadth away from me. I gulped again as I saw his expressions and the way


    he looked at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.


    His face was the most handsome face I had ever seen. And up close, he looked even more enticing.


    He had a well¨Cdefined jawline that was sharp and angr while his cheekbones were prominent.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Not to forget his full lips that had kissed me. His lips were slightly parted and I tried to not look at them


    and forced myself


    up and meet his gaze again.


    to look


    ¡°Uh, slip of tongue¡± I bbered because I could not think of anything else. Hell, I would forget what was


    my name if he asked me right now.


    Cahan was too close to me and the scent of his cologne was mouthwatering. He had to step away


    from me if he wanted me to function.


    Cahan looked at me evenly, his eyes searching my face as if trying to discern if I was joking at his


    expense or had answered truthfully.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked again and I tried hard to not focus on how sexy he sounded or smelled.


    My nerves were tingling and I could not maintain eye contact anymore. His gaze was too intense and I


    feared he would simply look inside my head and read all the naughty thoughts I was having about him.


    He was the lycan King, the most handsome and eligible bachelor of the entire Kingdom who had not


    found his mate yet. I nodded. ¡°P¨Cpositive¡± and then hastily added, ¡°Y¨Cyour majesty¡±


    ¡°So you think I can love someone?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­yeah?¡±


    Cahan kept looking at me with that same intense look as I waited for him to pounce on me for


    disrespecting him. But then a slow smile appeared on his face.


    Feeling confused, I furrowed my eyebrows and his smile widened.


    Before I knew, he wasughing, actuallyughing with his hands trying to hide his smile. And I only sat


    there, staring stupidly at him.


    If his looks were mesmerizing, hisughter was a sight to behold. He had the most infectiousughter I


    had ever witnessed.


    The pearly whites in his mouth shone in the soft light as his eyes almost began to water. He was


    laughing loudly, his hands clutching his stomach.


    I only stared at him nervously and slowly a smile appeared on my face too. Before long, he was


    howling like a mad wolf, pping his thighs as heughed until his stomach hurt..


    Even I began to smile as I observed him and the way his eyelids fluttered.


    But then in an instant, he was in front of me, all theughter wiped out of his face. His hands mmed


    on the armrest of my chair and I crouched back in surprise as he leaned forward.


    ¡°There is no such thing as love, only need, remember that¡± Cahan said to me and looked me in the


    eye, waiting to see if I would challenge his im.


    But I only stared at him nkly so he stepped away and then walked out of his office, leaving me


    feeling confused and utterly bewildered.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Cahan


    I walked away from my office unsure of what or why I had done or said whatever I had.


    The way Zenovia had stared at me and confidently said that I could never love anyone had made me


    feel a bit odd.


    And, I was surprised why her words had affected me. It was not as if I ever cared who said what about


    me.


    I was aware of how sometimes people whispered behind my back when they thought nobody was


    hearing, calling me


    names.


    I was the arrogant lycan King who everybody feared but had not won the hearts of his people. And the


    reason partly was this stupid curse.


    I had no idea why the idea of having a mate was so enticing for everyone. Humans lived their lives


    without a mate, they chose someone they liked and if things did not go well, they would part ways as


    easily as they had found each other.


    Some never married their entire lives because either they did not believe in the concept of having to


    commit to just one person their entire lives or only looked for sex and hookups.


    I fell in neither category. It was not as if I hated girls in general but I had not found anybody who would


    want me¡­just me as a person, not because I came with aplete package of luxury, power, and


    security.


    And early enough, I learned in life that people did note close to you if they did not want anything in


    return.


    Zenovia had beenbeled an outcast by her family and she had nowhere to go. Maybe, that is why she


    was suddenly trying


    to show she was useful.


    I coiled my hands into fists as I headed towards my room, anger rising up from the pits of my stomach.


    I headed straight to my room and turned on the shower. Stripping out of my clothes, I let the cold water


    run down my body, rxing me..


    I stood there for a long time, the water soaking me as I tried to distract myself. Whenever I was near


    that girl, she drove me mad.


    It was like she had no filter in her mouth and would just blurt whatever she thought about me. And, I


    was getting annoyed that it affected me, not in a way I liked.


    I would have simply killed someone if they had dared open their mouth to argue with me, but the little


    lamb was simply too fearless. And it turned me on.


    ¡®Fuck¡±


    I swore as I ran a hand through my hair and applied body wash. When I looked down, I realized that I


    was hard as fuck.


    And, I had been thinking about Zenovia nonstop. Suddenly, my brain brought up the memory of our


    kiss and how she had responded to me.


    My hand went to my thick member and I began stroking it as I recalled how it felt to have her body


    under mine, of how it had been to see her dance.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    A moan left my lips when I recalled the way she had danced around her room, wrapped in her towel


    and looking sexy as hell without a care in the world.


    I began stroking myself harder as I recalled her long slender legs and the way she had fallen on me,


    stark naked, and how I had gotten barely a glimpse of her bare body.


    ¡°Ahh


    My cock was throbbing, wanting to bury inside her.


    If she could make me hard without even being around, I could only imagine what it would feel like to


    have her sweet little mouth suck me.


    The thought was too much to handle and I began stroking myself harder. My nerves tingled at that


    thought and all I could imagine was her sitting in front of me as I fucked her sweet mouth.


    And then I would worship her body just like she worshipped my cock. The feeling was heavenly and 1


    rxed after I found my release. My cock slowly stopped twitching again but I had never felt so


    dissatisfied before.


    My lycan growled in my head. ¡°Zenovia is a beauty.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said as I cleaned myself up and felt a bit relieved after having pleasured myself. I could not


    even remember when was thest time I got such a hard boner.


    I was perfectly fine and had no health issues but it was just that stic and brainless beauties did not


    make me feel the way this girl was doing.


    While I dried myself with a towel and wrapped another around my waist. I heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°What?¡± I only asked as I stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards the mirror.


    It was my gamma Elijah at the door.


    He knocked once and said, ¡°It is me, king¡±


    1 did not turn back and only grunted as I dried myself with a towel. He took that as permission and


    slowly opened the door.


    ¡°King, are you free?¡± He asked as I opened a drawer to find theb and beganbing my hair.


    ¡°For a bit, yes. Then I have some files to read¡± I mumbled as I opened the wardrobe and pulled out


    some clothes to wear.


    Elijah went silent and I looked at his reflection through the mirror while putting on the t¨Cshirt I had


    pulled out of the


    wardrobe.


    Pushing it down my torso, I asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Elijah rubbed a hand over his neck and replied, ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to check if you had your


    discussion with Zenovia.¡±


    I nodded gruffly. ¡°I did¡±


    He looked at me through the mirror hopefully. ¡°And? What is your decision?¡±


    I took a bottle of gel from the table and applied some of it on my wet hair while answering him.


    ¡°I said yes so you all can have your fun¡±


    Elijah¡¯s face brightened at that, ¡°So she really did manage to convince you¡±


    I corrected him, ¡°I had never really said no to her, not directly at least Nexxt I pulled out jeans and put


    them on while Elijah replied.


    ¡°To her maybe not. But to everybody else, you kept saying no for the past year.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that while wiping the excess water off my neck and asked, ¡°What is it that you


    really want to talk about El


    I got straight to the point and hoped that he would too.


    ¡°Zenovia¡­she is going to be your anchor?¡±


    I looked sharply at him. ¡°I have not discussed that thing with her and neither has Dru. We both agreed


    on the fact that Zenovia first needs some time to recover and trust me. Being an anchor is no easy task


    so we need to make her feel safe around us so that she would be more inclined to agree to the task


    Elijah stepped forward and nodded feverishly. ¡°Yes, I do agree with that. She is a very sweet girl and


    quite nice.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I mumbled unsure of where my gamma was going with this.


    Elijah thought about it for a second and added, ¡°Well, Matteo told me a bit about her and how her


    family sold her to you. II only wanted to ask you what you nned to do with her.¡±


    I finally turned my head at Elijah and pushed my hands into my jeans pockets.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I have talked to her and she seems very nice. I don¡¯t really think you should punish her.¡±


    I titled my head at that, ¡°Do you see her crying or dying? I am letting her heal, right?¡±


    But Elijah was quick to jump on that line.


    ¡°I know. But that is because you need her to be your anchor. Once her purpose is served, you will just


    discard her for being


    a traitor.


    I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at Elijah who was going to add more but stopped speaking


    abruptly.


    ¡°Why are you so concerned about a girl you met merely 3 hours ago?¡± I asked.


    Elijah swallowed nervously and looked away. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to punish an innocent soul. And


    hoped that you


    would see she is not a traitor.¡±


    I kept looking at him, trying to understand what he was trying to say


    ¡°Look El, you were not here and her entire pack swore that she sold insider information to rogues who


    used that against them. While I do not deny that she might have been influenced or brainwashed by a


    trickster, the fact remains that her own father disowned her.¡±


    Elijah coiled his hands into fists, ¡°Then probably he is mad too. Zen would never hurt even a fly.¡±


    There was little distance between us and I closed it. I was now standing directly in front of my gamma.


    ¡°What is your point?¡± I asked and Elijah fumbled a little.


    ¡°I told you. She seems innocent and you are often driven by rage so I do not want you to hurt her.¡±


    ¡°If you are so confident of her innocence, show me the proof for that. I am not going to be fooled by


    innocent faces. anymore, you know that, right?¡±


    I asked Elijah and he got my point. He nodded his head and gave me a short bow before leaving my


    room as I looked at his retreating figure.


    But there was a new doubt that he had nted in my head.


    Was my gamma smitten by the feral cat I had brought for myself? And why was I feeling jealous


    already?

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    The next few days passed in a blur and the day of the ball was upon us. I spent the entire day running


    around, setting up the tables, lighting, and flower arrangements while Maria had given me a team of


    servants to work under me.


    Ever since my odd conversation with Cahan that day, he had been avoiding me. The Lycan King


    busied himself with work and only stepped out of his office to take a shower.


    I think he was also eating and sleeping there.


    I wanted to talk to him and maybe clear the confusion but it felt awkward for me to approach him


    directly.


    Even at the dinner or lunch table, he was missing and sometimes I had food alone or with Maria.


    My friend, Elijah, was missing as well. I heard from Drusi that he had been sent to invite all the


    alphas to the ball as the Lycan King was definitely not going to send out invites.


    1 frowned a little but decided to focus on work. The evening was already setting in and I saw shades of


    orange and yellow on the horizon as the moon began peeking out of the clouds.


    It was going to be a full moon today.


    And, I had the most dreamy decor set up imaginable. Instead of the usual roses, I decided to go with


    orchids that were hung at regr intervals through the huge canopy of metal and wood frames that


    served as the venue.


    I had also decided to ask the gardeners to put on some mistletoe at cozy corners for couples to spend


    some quality time and be in a private space.


    All in all, I was too happy with the way the venue looked. I smiled wistfully at the preparations before I


    saw the wide gates of the mansion creak.


    The guests were beginning toe in.


    I looked down at myself. I was dressed in overalls as I had been jumping up and down my heels, all


    day.


    Not wanting anybody to spot me like this, I hid behind the thick bushes as I saw the first few guests


    come in.


    There were men and women dressed in finery, their poses confident and their attire demanding


    respect.


    Handsome men. I had never seen before, stepped out of their cars as Beta Matteo rushed forward to


    greet them.


    He passed by me and I only raised an eyebrow to ask, ¡°Where is the King?¡±


    Matteo mouthed, ¡°Working¡± while adjusting his tie and running in the direction of the guests.


    I frowned and my gaze slipped to the window of the King¡¯s office. The lights were on and the blinds


    were drawn.


    Was he not going to step outside and attend the event even for a minute?


    I kept pecking through the trees that hid me as a group of gorgeous girls walked in.


    They were wearing fashionable clothes, their hair and make up perfect and their dresses ensuring that


    their assets were well disyed.


    This ce was filled with beautiful people and I was the odd man out here. Everybody was looking


    around at the ce. with bright faces and I could not help but wonder what they were thinking about it.


    ¡°The mansion is freaking gorgeous¡± One of the girls, a blondemented and her friend, a curly haired


    girl, added,


    ¡°So is the Lycan King¡±


    The girls were standing a few feet away from me, adjusting their dresses and hair while talking about


    Cahan.


    I could not help but perk my ears to listen to what they were saying about him.


    ¡°But he is so damn cold and unreachable. I have been trying so hard to get a glimpse of him but he just


    does not leave his mansion¡±


    I chuckled at that line.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The curly haired girl replied, ¡°True, but I heard a rumor that he took in a breeder. I believe the curse is


    really making him impatient.¡±


    The blonde girl curled her hands into fists and did a little dance of excitement, ¡°That is why we are


    having this ball. And, I am going to ensure he only has eyes on me.¡±


    12:16


    She said while twirling a lock of her hair and my smile wavered.


    ¡°How are you going to do that, Amy?¡± The curly haired girl asked and Amy, the blonde girl, fluttered her


    eyshes,


    ¡°By using this.¡±


    She showed her friends a small bottle hidden in her purse. ¡°I am going to mix this in his drink and


    seduce him. Then when he has marked me, he has no option but to choose me.¡±


    Amy wriggled her eyebrows as her friend shrieked, ¡°You are a naughty girl¡±


    Amy shrugged, ¡°Everything is fair in love and war. And, Cahan is mine.¡±


    My eyes widened at their scheming but it was not as if I could say anything. I was deemed the lycan


    King¡¯s breeder so I had no right on him.


    He was free to choose any of the girls as his mate. I frowned a litle and shoved the little feeling of


    jealousy bubbling inside. of me as I heard a few more girls gush about him.


    I had no idea Cahan was so popr among the girls or even the men. I sneaked through the bushes,


    trying to hear more of what people thought about him.


    The men were trying to woo the girls in hopes of one of them would turn out to be their mate but


    nobody seemed to give them any attention.


    Wherever I went, they were talking nonstop about Cahan. My face further fell. There was no chance


    in hell that he would even look at me.


    And then I was surprised why was I still thinking of him. Had I not nned to run out of the mansion


    while everybody was busy partying?


    I shook my head and went back inside through one of the side doors but a chirpy voice greeted me.


    ¡°Oh my God, Zenovia. Why are you still not ready?¡±


    I turned around to see Drusi standing a few feet away from me, her hands on her hips.


    ¡°I¡­I did not know I was invited¡± I answered truthfully. Well, it was a half¨Ctruth.


    Not only was I mateless but also wolfless. No man would want me because I was the lowest of the low..


    Drusi came forward and pointed a finger at me.


    ¡°What do you mean by not invited? You arranged everything. You are a guest here too.¡±


    I shrugged as she looked at me from head to toe.


    ¡°Now are you going back inside and changing into something decent or should I shout at you again?¡±


    I gave her a smile. ¡°I¡­I will happily watch the event from my room¡¯s window.¡±


    I knew there was no chance I was going to find my mate here so there was no point staying here. Plus,


    I needed to get off my back, if I wanted to run away.


    her


    But Drusi shook her head, ¡°You are going in your room and changing into nice clothes or I am


    coming and making you


    wear it.¡±


    I raised my hands in surrender, ¡°Okay fine. I will go¡±


    ¡°You better,¡± as she smiled. I gave her a quick once over and asked, ¡°Are you not changing?¡±


    She was wearing a simple blue blouse and long pants.


    ¡°Ahh, I did not want to but on second thought let me join you¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    And before I could protest, she was pushing me inside the mansion, all the way up to my room.


    My protests fell on deaf ears as she closed the doors of my room and made me take a quick shower


    while she selected a dress and essories for me.


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± I asked miserably but she only red at me.


    Drusi spent almost an hour, painting my nails, styling my hair, and applying makeup all the while


    asking me to keep my eyes closed.


    She had not even let me see what dress she had chosen for me and only instructed me to wear it.


    I only felt the way she pushed essories up my body, worked with the zips, and yed with my hair.


    ¡°Why are you wasting all of your time on me? You have to get ready too.¡±


    I said but she shook her head, ¡°I like helping other girls get ready. I used to help my¡­never mind.¡±


    She had started to open up about her life but quickly closed her lips.


    I wanted to ask her more about her personal life and family but it seemed like the topic was off limits.


    I felt the soft brush upon my cheeks a few times before she finally huffed, ¡°Phew, that was a lot of hard


    work but still it was interesting¡±


    ¡°Can I open my eyes now?¡±


    I asked and she replied. ¡°Oh right, now you can¡±


    So I looked at the reflection in the mirror that was staring back at me and screamed.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Zenovia


    Drusi was so startled that she too screamed, thinking that there was a bug or something around her,


    and swatted her hands wildly.


    ¡°Drusi, what did you do?¡± I asked, staring at my reflection in shock.


    ¡°What? What did I do?¡± she hurriedly came over to me and ced her hands on my shoulders.


    ¡°That does not look like me,¡± I said, and she only pped my shoulder lightly.


    ¡°God, you scared me¡±


    1 felt tears brimming in my eyes as I looked at her. ¡°Thank you¡±


    She ced her chin on my head and replied, ¡°You worked hard for the event. You deserve some


    pampering¡±


    For a good five minutes, I had trouble believing that the reflection staring back at me was indeed mine.


    It seemed like Drusi had waved some wand over me and turned me into a beautiful princess. She


    had chosen an off shoulder dress with a deep neckline that gave some bounce to my breasts. The


    gown hugged my body up to the waist before ring down the knees a little.


    There were beads and small flowers running through the neckline and a delicatece pattern that ran


    along the waistline.


    My hair was curled a bit, giving them a bounce as they fell gracefully on my shoulders. She had only


    put on light make up but I had never looked this pretty in my life.


    ¡°You look amazing, Zen.¡± She breathed, and I quirked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Zen? I like that name,¡± she giggled and replied. ¡°Ok now you go out and y the event. Who knows,


    maybe you will find your mate too today.¡±


    She wriggled her eyebrows, and I only tried hard not to blush. At least, somebody was holding hope for


    me despite knowing that I was wolfless.


    Drusi turned to walk out of the room, but she bumped into something or someone.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± she rubbed her forehead and looked up to see Elijah.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes?¡± she asked with a scowl, but his eyes were fixated on me.


    For a moment he said nothing and ran his eyes from my feet up to my face before letting out a breath.


    ¡°Wow¡±


    He muttered, and I tried not to blush.


    Drusi rolled her eyes and waved her hand in front of him.


    ¡°Hello? You should apologize to me¡± But Elijah simply shot his hand forward and pushed her away,


    making her p him on the back again.


    ¡°You idiot¡± She winced, but he paid her no attention.


    He stepped inside the room and muttered, ¡°You look gorgeous, Zen¡± He said and held his hand


    forward.


    Drusi threw her hands up in despair and walked off, leaving him and me alone.


    I smiled at him and replied, ¡°So do you¡±


    Elijah was wearing a crisp suit, and his hair was perfectlybed.


    ¡°Not as good as you,¡± He said and offered me a hand. I gave him a small smile, and I took it as he


    ced a small kiss on my hand, making me blush.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He asked, and I nodded my head.


    I figured if I was going to leave this mansion, I might as well have some fun before leaving this world


    behind me.


    Tonight was going to be fun and tomorrow would be the dawn of a new chapter in my life.


    Thus, I let Elijah guide me outside the mansion.


    However, instead of taking me out through the front door, he redirected us both toward the back door.


    ¡°Why are we going through this door?¡± I asked him and he smiled.


    ¡°The crowd and noise is too much. Let us talk in silence for a while and then we join the others. Is that


    okay?¡±


    He asked, and I readily agreed. I did not want to see the girls alling up with devious ways to


    seduce Cahan.


    Speaking of which, where was he?


    My gaze flitted in the direction of his office, but I could not spot him. The lights were still on, so probably


    he was still inside.


    It had only been a few days since I had talked to him, but it already felt like ages. I wanted to see him


    smile or even show me that devilishly delicious smirk of his.


    My disappointment must be evident on my face because Elijah asked, ¡°Is something worrying you?¡±


    I tore my gaze away from the windows of Cahan¡¯s office and replied, ¡°N¨Cnothing¡±


    He patted my arm, and we took a stroll through the widewn.


    The night was starry and the full moon shining above was casting a soft glow on the trees around us.


    ¡°The moon is very beautiful,¡± I said while gazing at the sky and he, too, looked up.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t even remember when was thest time I waited to admire its beauty¡±


    I added, ¡°I and my mother used to gaze at the moon and the stars at night as she would tell me


    bedtime stories.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a dream. I guess you were close to your mother¡± Elijah asked, and I tried to not show the


    lump forming in my


    throat.


    ¡°She loved me a lot and was my pir of strength. I miss her,¡± I said softly, and he halted in his tracks.


    ¡°Was? But King Cahan told me that your pack disowned you¡±


    I tried not to show how that memory affected me and said, ¡°Well, that is my father and his mate. Luna


    Celeste. She is not my biological mother¡±


    ¡°Ahh. I see.¡± He said and then fell silent.


    The memories of Celeste, Sid, and my father made the remaining happiness dissipate into thin air.


    ¡°I am sorry. Just forget about anything I said today.¡± Elijah said, and I nodded meekly while eyeing the


    ground.


    He could tell that my mood had dipped, so he held me by the shoulders and whirled me around.


    ¡°You know what? Let us go and join the party.¡±


    I bit my lower lip nervously. ¡°But there are so many alphas and betas around there. I feel nervous¡±


    Elijah waved his hand in the air, dismissing my concern. ¡°I am there with you. All of the alphas and


    betas are still lower to me by rank¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± I asked.


    Usually, alphas were at the top, followed by betas and gammas.


    Elijah winked. ¡°Because I am gamma to the Lycan King. You know that he is THE king, right?¡±


    I nodded, my heart fluttering at the mention of his name again. I dismissed that thought as Elijah


    dragged me through the front door and towards the openwns.


    A few groups had formed, and people had already started drinking. Elijah lowered his head to whisper,


    The arrangements are spectacr. I never knew this ghost mansion could look so lively¡±


    I gave him a small bow and replied, ¡°Compliment well received¡±


    We bothughed and his face brightened. ¡°That is what I am talking about. Loosen up a little, girl¡±


    He said and then looked around. ¡°You know what? I know the right thing to do. Let me grab you a


    drink.¡±


    Elijah said and before I could stop him, he had walked to the drinks counter that had been set up in the


    far corner.


    I had also asked the servants to help create a vacant space in the middle to serve as a dance floor for


    people who wanted to dance.


    any familiar faces. Soft music was ying as my gaze flitted through the crowd, trying to sense if I


    would find ¡°Well, well, look who we have here,¡± A voice spoke loudly followed by giggles and a bit of


    booing. I turned around to see Cynthia standing in front of me, a few girls beside her, all ring at me.


    Cynthia was wearing avish dress with diamonds and jewels studded to it, the fabric clinging to her


    curves and leaving only little to the imagination.


    She was holding a ss in her hand and took a sip.


    ¡°Who is that? Look at her face. She looks as if she identally sneaked out of prison and stumbled


    upon rich people¡¯s


    event


    Her words made a few of them giggle as 1 subconsciously took a step back. The girls formed a loose


    circle around me while Cynthia stood facing me.


    ¡°She is the breeder that the Lycan King got for himself. But just look at her. She is already dreaming


    about Cahan.¡± One of her friends spoke in disgust. ¡°Ew, does she even know her standard? Not even


    a rogue will look at her.¡± ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want any trouble. Leave me alone¡± I tried to speak, but the girls


    did not listen to me.


    ¡°Just because a ball is being held, you think you stand a chance, you lowly breeder?¡± Cynthia scowled


    and the other girls booed loudly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone or anything. Please go get your Lycan King. I know he will pick one of the girls


    present today¡±


    I answered truthfully. That was also one more reason I had decided to run away. I had to leave him


    before my feelings for him intensified and 1 stayed back, watching him pick someone else.


    ¡°Look at her say those words as if she is doing us a favor.¡± Cynthia¡¯s friends circled me as they began


    poking me, ying with my hair, and pulling at my dress.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I cried as Cynthia smirked and then threw the contents of her ss in my face.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Cynthia and the girls guffawed as the alcohol sshed on my face and ruined my makeup and hair.


    I fought back tears as the girls began pulling at my hair and tugging at my dress again.


    ¡°Just let me go!!¡± I cried and attempted to run away, but the girls closed in on me. The music was


    changed to loud as a few people decided to dance, drowning my voice.


    ¡°Remember what you are, you breeder. That day, when I saw you in the mansion, I should have known


    you were eyeing Cahan. Know this¨Che is mine. MINE!!¡±


    Cynthia jabbed a finger at my dress and then wiped her hand on a nearby shrub.


    ¡°Ew don¡¯t touch her¡±


    The girls began bullying me and I was about to yell back at them when suddenly everybody turned


    around.


    ¡°Hey, what is happening?¡± A voice asked, and I saw Elijahing over.


    The girls quickly pulled out their kerchiefs and scarves and began wiping my dress while a few threw


    the contents of their drinks at each other.


    Cynthia immediately gave me a sweet smile. ¡°Oh, I am so sorry, my foot got caught in something and I


    stumbled¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her while she reached for my hand and grabbed it, squeezing it hard.


    ¡°Please, I am so sorry. I did not mean to. Please don¡¯tin to the King about me


    She began crying, and her friends surrounded her, trying to calm her down.


    Elijah had already approached us after cing the drinks on a nearby table.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± He asked as he looked at me..


    But before I could answer, Cynthia threw him a helpless look. ¡°I was goofing around with my friends


    and we did not see her. Somebody started throwing water around and we joined in too. She got caught


    in the mayhem.¡±


    Elijah looked at the girls, some of whom were also wet and were wiping off the alcohol. Cynthia walked


    near him and batted her eyshes. ¡°I hope you understand it was a mistake.¡±


    Elijah nodded, ¡°It is alright. Just go and get yourselves cleaned, girls.¡±


    I wanted to protest, but Cynthia and her friends dragged me to the washroom. Once we were all alone,


    Cynthia kicked me in the stomach and muttered, ¡°You were going to spoil my ns, right? You filthy


    breeder.¡±


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    She grabbed me by the cor and gritted her teeth, ¡°You are never going to say a word of this to


    Cahan, or I am going to ensure that you are thrown to the rogues.¡±


    Amy reached for Cynthia and tried to calm her.


    ¡°Let us go. Cynthia. Stop wasting your time on this mutt¡±


    Cynthia took a deep breath to calm her nerves and replied. ¡°Yeah, you are right. I will just go upstairs


    and drag Cahan outside if I have to. Maybe I will have the first dance with him.¡±


    Her friends giggled excitedly, and they all did some touch up and adjusted their clothes and hair before


    walking out of the washroom.


    ¡°You stay within your limits,¡± Cynthia growled as she walked out.


    I turned the tap off and let the tears flow freely down my eyes. This had always been the case growing


    up with Sid and his friends. Even they used to always bully and gang up against me and no matter how


    much I fought, Celeste would always portray me ¨¢s a viin.


    This felt like deja vu all over again.


    I wiped my tears off and washed my face with the cool water as I finally stopped sobbing. This whole


    ball was of no importance to me. Cahan was not important to me¡­I reminded myself.


    Thus, I calmed down and stepped outside after cleaning my dress to the best of my ability. But when I


    stepped out. Elijah was already waiting for me.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± He asked, and I smiled at him..or tried to


    -Yes¡±


    He came forward and replied, ¡°I saw the girls walking out but you did not so want to check if you were


    alright.¡±


    My heart warmed at this affection. At least somebody cared about me.


    He pulled me away from the washroom and dragged me in the direction of the crowd. My eyes


    scanned the premises for Cynthia and her friends, but they were not around.


    I sighed in relief as I let Elijah guide me to one of the tables. He pulled a chair for me and sat down


    beside me.


    Not even a moment after we sat down, there was a smallmotion at the entrance of the mansion.


    Some people were gathered around the entrance and it was hard to make out what was going on just


    by looking from here.


    Elijah sprang up on his feet and muttered, ¡°Let me see what is going on. I will be right back. Don¡¯t go


    anywhere.¡±


    He went towards the crowd and I too, kept looking at him intently. And that is when I saw the Lycan


    King himself being dragged out of the mansion by Drusi.


    Elijah and Matteo rushed forward and parted the crowd as Cahan stepped forward. And my heart


    fluttered a bit at how handsome he looked.


    While everybody was wearing a formal ck colored business suit, Cahan was dressed in a blue


    three piece suit.


    He looked every bit of royal and rich as he stepped forward and looked around. A few girls were


    fanning themselves, and I even saw one or two copsed on the ground when he looked their way.


    But I was not in a hurry to rush forward and grab him. I stayed where I was, d that everybody had


    run towards him, leaving me to sit in a corner peacefully.


    I propped my chin on my elbow and watched in fascination as he climbed down the small flight of stairs


    and greeted a few alphas and other important men.


    Every single person had left whatever they were doing and went to greet him, and he was handling the


    crowd very


    well.


    He did not sinile, but he did not scowl either. Drusi was standing a few feet away from him and I saw


    the way he threw her an angry expression, but she only chuckled at that.


    Even I smiled at that. He was oblivious to my presence, so I let myself gawk at him.


    He was well¨Cbuilt, had broad shoulders and his charisma was enigmatic. His golden eyes were a stark


    contrast to his deep blue suit and brought out the color of his eyes.


    That man was a living, breathing example of elegance and finery. And I could only reminisce in my


    head about our kiss and how it had felt to be close to him.


    Even from afar. I could see the light stubble on his jaw and the way the corner of his eyes crinkled


    when he talked about something with passion.


    I kept admiring him and smiling wistfully before my smile crumbled as Cynthia stepped forward.


    None of the girls had managed to sneak in through the alphas, but Cynthia was standing beside a man,


    who Cahan was talking to, so she managed to get past the security guards that hade in to


    manage the crowd.


    She gave him a radiant smile and held her hand out for him.


    ¡®Can I have the pleasure of dancing with you?¡± She asked while batting her eyshes at him.


    Cahan looked around and saw that all eyes were on him, so he did not bluntly reject her, but I saw a


    muscle in his jaw


    witch.


    Oh please, King. Please dance a little and have some fun¡±


    She looked behind at her friends, and soon they began chanting Cahan and Cynthia¡¯s names.


    Cahan gave a nervous augh but then nodded his head reluctantly.


    Cynthia almost shrieked with pleasure as he stepped forward and she held his hand while walking


    towards the dance floor ?roudly.


    A few girls threw her jealous looks as they reached the dance floor, and Cynthia ced a hand on


    Cahan¡¯s chin, making a ew girls gasp


    pose


    the then ced his hand on the small of her back and held his other hand, getting into the to dance.


    Cynthia looked radiant and confident, something I did not do so I could not even feel jealous about her


    dancing so close to im.


    After they danced for a few steps, soon, other couples joined while Cynthia threw her hands on


    Cahan¡¯s shoulders and ocked her fingers behind his head.


    They were dancing close, too close, and I could not look at the way his hand was resting on her back


    while her ample bosom


    as almost pressed onto his chest.


    saw her whispering something in his ear and heughed at some joke he had cracked and I could not


    take it anymore tore my eyes away from him and got up from the chair.


    But in my haste to get up fast, I knocked the chair off and it nged loudly against the metal frame,


    making every single


    connected frame vibrate.


    I gulped as all eyes, including his, turned to look in the direction of the disturbance; mine.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Cahan


    1 had been seated in my office, papers, and files strewn all around the table and a few lying on the


    floor as well.


    I had decided to drown myself in work just like I would work before. The innocent looking girl in my


    house was not going to


    turn me soft.


    I was spending some time thinking about her, fantasizing about her and thankfully, I realized it soon


    enough.


    The ball could happen and she could even find a mate for all I cared, she was not going to matter to


    me.


    ¡°But then why are you avoiding her if she doesn¡¯t mean anything to you?¡± least, my Lycan, asked in my


    head.


    I mentally rolled my eyes at him and replied. ¡°Because I am working. And it needs concentration.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°At least you agreed that she distracts you.¡±


    I did not wish to argue with Beast so I didn¡¯t bother replying and instead focussed on the file in front of


    me.


    I thought of having a meeting with all the alphas again and enforcing a few new rules since everybody


    would be around.


    But it looked like nobody wanted to let me work in peace. The door of my office flew open and Drusi


    was standing with her hands on her hips, ring at me.


    ¡°How rude of the host to not attend the event!!¡± she huffed and came forward.


    I flipped a page of the file without looking up at her. ¡°I am not the host and it is not my event. Close the


    door on your way


    out.¡±


    That only angered her more as she red her nostrils and came up to me and plucked the file out of my


    hands.


    ¡°Get up, now!!¡±


    I let out a sigh. ¡°Dru, I am working-¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°You work 24 by 7. Now, I want you to get up ande with me outside right


    now. Everybody is asking for you.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Let them. If they find their mates, nobody would bother about me either way.¡±


    But she had already grabbed my hand and was pulling me out of the chair, ¡°God, you are so huge.


    Move!!¡±


    I shook my head and got up from the chair as she put herself behind me and ced her hands on my


    back.


    ¡°Out, keep walking¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°If people saw how such a minion orders the Lycan King around, who will even fear me? My


    reputation is at


    stake.¡±


    Drusi began panting. ¡°Then how about you walk out nicely with me? You made poor Zenovia slog so


    much and I dolled her up but you are not even going to thank her for the effort?¡±


    At Zenovia¡¯s mention, there was an odd feeling inside my chest. I yed with my cuffs and asked, ¡°She


    is there?¡±


    Drusi huffed, ¡°Of course she is! Do you want her to help you or not as your anchor? Why will she


    even agree if you are so cold to her?¡±


    Hmm, well I could not argue with that. So after twenty minutes, I washed my face and stepped outside


    the front doors of the mansion with Drusi by my side.


    As expected, everybody just gathered around me and I tried to be nice and polite. My eyes


    subconsciously scanned the crowd for Zenivia but she was nowhere to be seen.


    Then I reminded myself about my earlier resolve and decided to focus on the people around me.


    After a few minutes of chitchat, Cynthia came forward and asked me for a dance. I wanted to deny her,


    but she kept asking. me and with all the people watching us it would look rude.


    Cynthia pulled me to the dance floor, and I let her. She began dancing closely, and I tried to feel


    something for her. anything


    She was beautiful; she had a nice figure and her eyes were begging me to touch her. I tried to focus on


    her, to not think about the girl with those innocent eyes who had said I could not love anyone.


    But it was getting increasingly hard to forget about her. While I danced with Cynthia or tried to, my brain


    reminded me of the little happy dance Zenovia had done, wearing nothing but a towel.


    She had looked a lot more sexier and cuter than all these girls wearing fashionable clothes and despite


    having Cynthia so close to me, my eyes still kept looking for Zenovia.


    ¡°You look dapper today, my King¡± Cynthiaplimented me and I only gave her a small smile.


    ¡°So do you


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Her face brightened at that and she kept dancing slowly but I could not keep up with the charade


    anymore.


    I was wondering what to do when suddenly there was the sound of a crash and the wooden frames put


    up all around us for the event began to vibrate.


    At first, I thought it was some rogue attack and was immediately going to spring into action but then my


    gaze slowly traveled to the source of noise and I saw Zenovia standing alone by a table.


    And, I sucked in a breath.


    She looked so damn gorgeous that my eyes could only focus on her beauty. Zenovia looked absolutely


    ethereal in the dress. that clung to her curves, giving me a delicious view of her figure.


    Her hair fell in waves upon her shoulders and the off shoulder dress gave me a nice view of her deep


    neckline.


    I swallowed as my mind immediately began to wonder how soft her skin must be under that fabric.


    The slit on her dress that reached her thigh was too tantalizing and all my earlier self resolve crumbled


    when I locked eyes. with her.


    She was messing with my mind and I was letting her. Cynthia saw me being distracted and tried to


    speak.


    ¡°Shall we continue dancing?¡±


    But I could not. Not anymore.


    So I only mouthed something like, ¡°I have to go¡± and walked away from the dance floor. My feet


    automatically turned in Zenovia¡¯s direction and I found myself standing in front of her.


    ¡°Where were you all this time?¡± I asked and she fumbled with her dress, trying to tug at it and pull it


    down and cover the slit on her thigh.


    My eyes roamed over her body and I could not help but stare in awe at her beautiful appearance again.


    ¡°L..I was just sitting here¡± She answered and I did not even know when I had held out my hand in front


    of her.


    ¡°Dance?¡±


    Zenovia blinked and then looked around nervously. I knew that all eyes were on us but I did not care.


    She bit her lower lip and then looked up at the dance floor where Cynthia was still standing, staring at


    us with her mouth


    agape.


    ¡°Your dance partner will feel bad.¡± She said meekly, and I went forward and grabbed her hand in mine


    when she would not


    move


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are plenty of other people to dance with for her¡±


    Zenovia gave me a small smile and walked along with me as I pulled her toward the dance floor.


    And when we stood there facing each other, it was as if nobody else mattered at that moment. The


    world around us faded to a dull ck color and it was just the two of us.


    I ced my hand on her waist and held her other hand as we slowly began to move to the tune.


    Zenovia kept looking down afraid that she would stomp on my feet.


    ¡°Rx, you are doing fine¡±


    Zenovia looked around and mumbled, ¡°Easy for you to say. You are the Lycan King. Nobody would


    laugh at you if you did something stupid


    I twirled her around and replied, ¡°Why do you care whoughs and who doesn¡¯t? Just focus on me,


    okay?¡±


    She nodded but her head was still bent down.


    ¡°Zec, look up.¡±


    She was startled when I called her that but she was not the only one.


    ¡°Zee?¡±


    I shrugged and twirled her around, making her giggle unexpectedly. Her skin was soft and supple and


    her delicious scent was driving me mad.


    I was trying very hard to not take a peek at her neckline that was hiding her plump bosom. But my


    hands would not listen to me.


    They slowly began roaming over her body, making her shudder as I pulled her closer to me. My hand


    was itching to bury itself in her hair and y with it as she slowly began moving with me in sync, my


    desire to devour her growing with every

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Zenovia


    Dancing had never felt so nice or exhrating. I seldom danced and it would mostly be in closed doors


    if I was feeling particrly happy.


    But I would have never imagined that Cahan would show up to the ball or that he would even ask me


    for a dance.


    My gaze fitted to Cynthia, who was staring daggers at me. She had been trying so hard to make


    Cahan only focus on him, but somehow his gaze had found me


    And I could not say no toim when he asked me to dance. My heart was thudding wildly as he held


    me close and I inhaled his mouth watering scent.


    Cahan was slow and patiently guided me to dance with him, though I was clumsy and identally


    stepped on his foot


    once or twIDE


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I mumbled, but he shook his head.


    ¡°No need to be. Plus, I know you dance very well when you are not dressed in a flowy gown. A towel


    suits you more.¡±


    My eyes went wide at that and Cahan grinned as he narled me once again before mming my body


    upon his.


    I gasped due to the unexpected move and lost my bnce, but his hands immediately snaked around


    my waist, traveling up my back to hold me in ce


    I sluvered due to the intimate touch and tried hard to conceal the blush rising up my cheeks. My gaze


    fell on Cynthia, who was fuming, and if looks could kill, she must have mentally stabbed me a hundred


    times.


    Cahan kept twirling me and mming me on his body, and I forgot how to breathe. His touch was


    doing things to me. making me enjoy the way he held me and picked me up by my waist and circle


    around before he put me down on the ground again


    My breathing wasbored, and I struggled to stand straight. Cahan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Looks like


    you need a break.¡±


    I smiled and tried to lude how my knees were shaky, not because of the dance, but because of having


    him so close to me.


    Every time he touched me, it sent sparks all over my skin, tingling down to my core


    I needed to step away from him to recall that this was a dream, an illusion. It was a mate ball and he


    would never choose a wolfless girl like me


    Thus, I gave him a weak smule and headed towards a nearby table to sit and rx. Seeing that


    Cahan was finally free, a few imore girls approached to dance with hum, but he shook his head and


    looked at me once to check if I am okay.


    I gave him a thumbs up and he went to talk to the alphas while I sat quietly by the table. Cynthia ran


    after him after giving me a scathing look and I rubbed my neck that felt a little sore after all the twirling


    A small scuffle seemed to break out within two packs and soon, most of the men went to sort it out.


    Meanwhile, I went to the bar and decided to drink something


    The bartender was a young man, probably in his early 20s ¡°Hello, do you have some water?¡±


    I asked him, and he smiled at me.


    ¡°No, mydy Would you like something stronger to drink?¡±


    His voice was sweet, and he looked cute too. ¡°No, nothing strong. Do you have any soft drinks,


    anything that does not contain alcohol?¡±


    He thought about it for a bit and replied, ¡°Let me make you a quick drink. It will soothe your nerves.¡±


    I thanked him for hus effort and two minutester he handed me a ss with a blue colored liquid.


    ¡°There you go.¡±


    1 stirred the ice cubes and the refreshing taste of lime hit me. The drink was tasty, and I finished it quite


    quickly.


    I ced the ss on the counter and wished to go to the loo, but then I felt a sudden pain shooting up


    my stomach.


    1 groaned, and the bartender looked at me worriedly. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    1 clutched my stomach and replied. ¡°Yes fine¡±


    Probably all the twirling and dancing had made me dizzy, and my stomach was revolting after I had the


    drink.


    I took a few more steps and the pain was gone. But then I broke out into intense sweat. I had put some


    distance between the partygoers and reached the less noisy area with no one around me.


    I thought that maybe some fresh air would make me feel better. I walked towards the shrubs and


    flowers to distract myself.


    11.09


    but the pain returned again, sharper this time.


    My knees wobbled, and I lost my bnce as I fell down on the ground. I could not even shout because


    it was hurting like hell and even if I did, my voice would not reach anybody over the music and chitchat


    of people around us.


    I was not even aware when tears started flowing out of my eyes. The pain was too intense, too horrible.


    It was as if my bones were snapping and wanted to jump out of my body.


    ¡°Argh¡± I winced and then suddenly I felt someone rush towards me. I was blinded by pain and felt that it


    was some wild animal that hade to eat me.


    Thus, I thrashed against whoever it was, digging my nails into the flesh and kicking or trying to, while


    the pain coursing through me made me howl in pain.


    This was not how I had imagined to die.


    But then two strong hands slowly turned me over, making me rest on the ground.


    I kicked again blindly and i felt my foot connect to someone¡¯s face. If that was a rogue werewolf, he


    better leave.


    Surprisingly, it was someone familiar.


    ¡°Zenovia, what is wrong? Are you hurt?¡± I heard a voice, but who was it that was talking to me? I knew


    the person, knew the touch, but the pain was not letting me recall anything.


    ¡°I..my stomach hurts everything hurts.¡± I said as the person pushed me up and ced my head on his


    lap.


    ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± He asked, and I said. ¡°M¨Cmy bones, my stomach everything inside of me is on


    fire. I am dying


    I cried, but instead of sounding worried, the person seemed amused. He only chuckled, and that made


    me feel even more


    angry.


    I tried to tear my focus away from the pain and looked up to see Cahan smiling at me. He was


    stroking my face, pushing the strands of hair behind me.


    ¡°You are not dying, Zenovia. I won¡¯t let that happen. You know that, right?¡±


    He said, and I sensed his tone get fiercer, so maybe it was just my imagination.


    I groaned as his hands tried to hold me in his embrace, but I was unsure of what was going on with me.


    When I did not reply, he spoke again. Talk to me Zee. What are you feeling?¡±


    I gritted my teeth. Did he want me to write an essay on my pain? Could he not see how I was twitching


    and lying curled up on the ground crying my eyes out?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­just go away.¡± I groaned as another fresh wave of pain shot up from my spine, all the way up to


    my head, making every single nerve throb with a searing headache.


    ¡°Zee, do as I say. Tell me what are you feeling.¡±


    He used his Lycan King voice and despite the pain, my brain registered how he was asserting


    dominance.


    I tried to speak. ¡°Lmy skin wants to peel itself off my bones¡­I am feeling as if my body wants to tear


    apart please, help me.¡±


    Cahan reached for my face and gently caressed it, ¡°That is good news, Zee. You are probably


    shifting¡±


    He answered, and I immediately threw my eyes wide open. Shifting? I was awakening my wolf?


    But how? Today was not my birthday. Usually, you awakened your wolf on the eighteenth birthday or on


    the next birthday when it was a full moon Most werewolves only awakened their wolf on their


    eighteenth birthday, sote bloomers were very rare toe across.


    I had waited for three birthdays for my wolf to show up and thest birthday had luckily been a full


    moon, yet there was no sign of my woff


    So how could I awaken my wolf right now?


    It made sense somehow, yet did not.


    I was already twenty¨Cone, and it was not my birthday today. Was he simply trying to distract me from


    something evil?


    ¡°H¨Chow?¡± I tried to ask, but his voice was drowned in my own scream that tore through my lungs. Hot,


    blinding pain coursed through me, making it hard for me to focus on his answer.


    ¡°Not sure of the how, but I can definitely tell that you are awakening your wolf. All these symptoms are


    pretty familiar to me. I have attended the awakenings of a few pups myself¡±


    1 began writhing and twisting on the ground, thrashing wildly as the pain began to envelop me, snaking


    me into its vice like grip.


    ¡°Please make it go away.¡± I begged, as he continued speaking in a soothing voice.


    ¡°Zenovia. Listen to me!! You are strong. Fight it, fight the pain.¡± He said, probably for the millionth time.


    But the pain was


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    too intense.


    ¡°Please, make it stop. I can¡¯t¡­it is killing me¡± I tried to speak between cries of agony and hysterical


    sobs.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    ¡°You you are going through the shifting. The first shift, especially forte bloomers, is always painful.


    But it will barelyst for it the longer you try to deny it. ept the pain, embrace it, and tell your wolf


    you are eager to meet her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked in shock but he only replied, ¡°Do it¡± and then added under his breath, ¡°You are a


    warrior, prove it.¡±


    Something about the way he said those words gave me a newfound confidence. I dug my hands into


    the soil, yanking off the grass and nts as iny fingers sunk into the hard ground.


    He said, but I could only nod my head in response.


    ¡°Focus on the fact that you are going to meet your wolf soon. Focus on that. Endure the pain. It will go


    away. soon.


    He said, but it was easier said than done.


    I rolled on the forest floor through the grass and tried to get up but my knees felt weak and I slumped


    back to the ground again.


    My breathing wasbored, and I was feeling nervous and annoyed. Cahan put a hand on my back to


    calm me and spoke in


    a calm voice.


    ¡°You are strong. Zenovia. You can do it. When you shift, you want to befortable. And your dress is


    a bit tight.¡±


    He tried to help me but I let out a scream. I just wanted him to detach my bones from my body because


    every single one of them was hurting.


    Cahan took a pause and replied, ¡°There is not much I can do. Perhaps, your clothing is restricting


    your wolf. Do you want me to take it off?¡±


    I could not even think of decency at this moment. All of my mind was focused on wanting to get rid of


    the pain.


    So, I simply screamed. ¡°Do it¡±


    Cahan fumbled a bit but his hands found the hook of the dress and the zipper and pulled it down,


    stopping at the waist where the zipper ended.


    I immediately felt the cold air brush my skin and the pain alleviated a bit. I was feeling feverish and was


    sweating so the cool air helped a bit.


    ¡°Take it off¡± I screamed and he pulled it off my legs as I writhed on the ground, covering myself in mud.


    Next, he reached for the chemise that covered my torso and thighs and attempted to take it off. But the


    fabric got stuck while taking out and it felt as if he was choking me.


    A wave of irritation swept up my head and I simply opened my mouth wide and bit him hard. My teeth


    sunk into his flesh. but he did not even utter a word, nor did he shake me away.


    Biting into his hand helped as my scream was muilled and I tried to fight the pain.


    He had only stilled for a moment, but let me bite into his hand to fight the pain before I loosened my


    grip. Afterward, he took the chemise off and pushed the hair aside while blood dripped down his arm.


    ¡°Better?¡± He asked, and I did feel a tad better.


    The clothes had been too tight and my bones immediately felt a bit more free. But he had not taken off


    my underwear and bra.


    I felt my chest tightening and tried to w at my chest, but my hands could not stay still. My fingers


    were shaking as I tried to reach for the bra and take it off.


    Cahan way watching me struggle, and I simply eyed him. ¡°What are you staring at? Help me


    He only blinked, but crouched forward and reached for my panties. His fingers brushed my skin and he


    tore the flimsy fabric off in an instant.


    I felt myself lulling to sleep as the wind breeze felt chilly against my naked skin. Cahan fumbled with


    the sp of my bra and swore under his breath.


    ¡°Why the fuck do you wear something soplex?¡±


    I would have told him the bra hook at the back was only there for an addedyer of security should the


    little spse off while running or doing any physically intense activity.


    But I was too busy fighting the sleep and pain.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    He fumbled with the buttons and the sp for a moment and when he could not he simply yanked that


    piece of fabric off my body.


    But his words had made sense. I did feel that my clothes were stopping me from transforming and,


    despite being naked in front of an unknown man; I did not feel any threat.


    Cahan slowly pulled my head on hisp and murmured. ¡°You are going to have a beautiful wolf, little


    lamb¡±


    And then I felt something transform into me. There was a new voice in my head that was definitely not


    mine.


    In an instant, I found myself covered in fur, my hands reced with strong feet and my mouth


    elongated into a muzzle.


    But before I could rejoice in the glory of having transformed, my spine seemed to crack under the


    pressure and I fell back to the ground again.


    ¡°Hey, it is okay, you are alright¡± Cahan reached for me and pulled me into hisp.


    I opened my eyes and felt him caressing my cheek.


    Wait.


    Did I transform or not? Moving was an effort, but I still raised my hand and raised it to see that I had


    turned human again.


    Tears stung in my eyes. Had I failed the transformation?


    My eyes held a questioning gaze as I looked up at Cahan. He caressed my check. ¡°You did fine.


    Don¡¯t worry, you are just tired.¡±


    He said, and I asked, ¡°Did you did you see my wolf?¡±


    Cahan hesitated a bit and answered, ¡°You are too tired, Zee. Let me get you inside your room.¡±


    He took his coat off, which was way big for me, and draped it around my body. The pain had


    disappeared, but now there was just a dull ache in my body and bones.


    I did not have much energy to argue with him, so I let him gather me in a heap and lift me up in his


    arms.


    By the time he walked back into the mansion grounds, everybody was staring at the two of us.


    Elijah¡¯s eyes fell on us and he registered the way I was draped in Cahan¡¯s coat and my hair


    disheveled.


    He came forward and looked at me in concern. ¡°Zen, what happened to you? Are you okay?¡±


    I gave him a tired smile, ¡°Yes, I am¡±


    I tried to answer further and exin the situation, but Cahan gave him a curt reply. ¡°She just went


    through her shift¡±


    At that, Elijah¡¯s face brightened, and he sighed in relief.


    ¡°Oh wow, that is great to hear.¡±


    Cynthia came running towards us after hearing themotion and tried to hide her jealousy as she


    saw me lying in Cahan¡¯s arms and wearing nothing except his coat.


    I would have enjoyed the look on her face as she tried to connect the dots and assumed I and Cahan


    just had sex in the forest, abandoning her and the ball in the mansion.


    She regained herposure and quickly stepped beside Cahan.


    ¡°Oh, she looks hurt. Is she alright?¡± Cahan began walking inside with me still in his embrace, but


    Cynthia stayed close.


    ¡°Yes, she just had her first shift.¡± Cahan spoke, and understanding dawned on her that nothing had


    happened between us. Her shoulders sagged in relief and Cynthia tried to speak words offort to


    me, but Cahan¡¯s embrace was the only thing that soothed my pain.


    She walked with us all the way to my room and realized that I was living in a room that was luxurious


    and filled with fine furniture, not some dingy servant quarters like she would have expected.


    Cahan put me on the bed and Cynthia hastily helped pull the sheets on my body so as to not let him


    spend more time with me.


    Elijah came running in, followed by Matteo. ¡°Is¡­is everything alright?¡± Matteo asked, and Cahan


    nodded. ¡°Yes, I reached her in time.¡±


    Matteo added. ¡°That is great to hear. I am sorry to inform you, King, that the alphas are waiting for the


    meeting you wanted to have today.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s brows furrowed as he looked at me. ¡°Well, maybe we can have the meetingter. Sheshe is


    sick and I do not want to find her writhing in the forest again¡±


    Was he taunting me? Or hiding the fact that he was beginning to care for me?


    Either way, I spoke. ¡°Please, go and attend your meetings. I will rest and call Maria if I need


    something.¡±


    Cynthia hastily jumped forward, ¡°Yes, my King. I will stay with her if you want. She needs to know what


    is going on with her body and mind. It will be best if a girl and fellow werewolf did that with her, you


    know¡­she might not befortable


    talking about whatever she is going through with a male.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not-¡±


    1 began, but she hastily added, ¡°Please, trust me on this King. I will ensure she does not get out of the


    bed.¡±


    Cahan gave me a tired smile and walked away as the door closed behind him.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Zenovia


    Cynthia waited for a solid one minute to ensure that they were well out of earshot beforeing


    towards me.


    ¡°So, when you realized that Cahan was inclined to dance with me, to choose me as a mate, you


    come up with a solid n to snatch him from me?¡±


    She asked while cing her hands on her hips.


    ¡°No, that is not what I was trying¡± I replied weakly while reaching for a ss of water beside the bed.


    My throat suddenly felt dry and I wanted to drink some water. Cynthia reached for the jug and poured


    water into the ss and held it in front of me.


    But instead of giving it to me, she held it high above her head, away from my reach.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I croaked and she asked me in the same cunning voice.


    ¡°That is what I asked you. Why are you after my man? Are you forgetting who you are, bloody


    breeder??¡±


    I tried exining I had not done any such thing.


    ¡°He was dancing with you. I was not even on the dance floor. I was sitting by my side, in a corner, away


    from everyone.¡±


    She gritted her teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t you try to act smart with me! You act all innocent and then pretend to be


    saintly so that Cahan will look at you. There was no need for you to attract attention to yourself if you


    wanted to sit in a corner. I see what you are doing¡­ying these little games.¡±


    I did not even hear half the things she was bbering, my focus was on the ss and wanting to reach


    that.


    I would have grabbed it myself and thrown her out of my sight but I was too weak and trembling. The


    transformation had not happenedpletely, that much I could make out from Cahan¡¯s eyes and the


    way he had shot me a look of


    concern.


    I was too sad by my iplete shifting to even bother with her taunts and tantrum.


    ¡°Please just go, I want to rest,¡± I said in a resigned voice, knowing that anything I offered as an


    exnation will fall on deaf


    ears.


    ¡°Yes, rest all you want. Do not dare to even step out of this room for the rest of the night. Or I will skin.


    you alive.¡±


    She said and finally gave me the water ss. I feared she would throw it on my face again but she let


    me and I gulped it down instantly.


    I felt a bit better but I was still feeling parched.


    ¡°See, I can be nice if you listen to me, right?¡± She poured another ss and handed it to me, which I


    gulped thirstily again.


    ¡°So, as I said I will have some girl talk with you, let me inform you something. We often shift when we


    reach our 18th birthday and if that chance is missed, then it happens whenever our birthday falls on a


    full moon next. I know it is not your birthday today so don¡¯t even try to exin how you got insecure


    that Cahan would pick me. I understand your jealousy, every girl wants to be in my ce but you


    have to understand that it is not possible.¡±


    I wiped the back of my hand as she leaned forward, ¡°and since I feel very generous I will also tell you


    why that is the case. You see, my father, alpha West, is the only alpha who has managed to gain


    Cahan¡¯s trust over all these years. He helped Cahan defeat a few rogues and build up a loyal army


    when he was just starting. And, my father, is highly regarded in the werewolfmunity. If he manages


    to convince the rogue leader, they are going to stop with their stupid acts.¡±


    I blurted out stupidly, ¡°Then why is he not doing it?¡±


    Sheughed and flipped her hair, ¡°You are really too naive and dumb. Nobody does anything for


    anyone for free. Obviously, if Cahan needs my father¡¯s help, he has to marry me to show he will not


    exploit my father¡¯s generosity.¡±


    ¡°But he is the King. How can he be forced to do anything?¡± I asked, unable to help himself.


    Sheughed. ¡°Stupid girl. That is how alliances are built. At most, you can be Cahan¡¯s breeder which


    I heard you already are but let me make this clear to you. You are never going to be his queen. I am


    going to take the crown and throw you out. if you ever be a pain in the ass. So, I am warning you


    to stay low and away from him.¡±


    I gulped.


    It was not as if I wanted to stay with him either. I was twenty¨Cone, well past the age of evente


    bloomers so I had always assumed that I was wolfless.


    But somehow, I had a partial transformation today. And for what it i worth, I wanted to be a werewolf.


    I did not like being weak and gullible so I wished to return to the human city tonight but fate yed an


    unexpected twist, thwarting all my ns.


    I had yet to even have aplete shift and I had already writhed on the ground. If I go to the human


    city and unexpectedly have my second shift while being surrounded by humans, they will surely throw


    me in the mental hospital, thinking that I had some mental physical disorder.


    I could never exin to them what I was and why I had been screaming in pain. They would never


    understand me.


    No, I had to stay in the werewolves¡® world and get my shifting and wolf in control before I left. And as


    much I hated to admit, now I was stuck here.


    Not that I could tell this to Cynthia who was basking in her own superiority.


    I did not know what to reply to her as I was confused about my life and future. Thankfully, the doors


    opened and Cynthia immediately began speaking sweetly to me.


    ¡°Oh yes, I know. The first shift is always painful. I think you should go sleep now.¡±


    Drusi stepped in and came to sit beside me worriedly, ¡°Hey, Ej and Matt told me about your shift.


    How are you feeling?¡±


    Cynthia waved at her, ¡°Hey Drusi, you really look fabulous today.¡±


    Drusi smiled back at her, ¡°You too¡±


    Cynthia then turned to look at me and reached for my hand, smiling sweetly. ¡°Remember what I said to


    you today, okay? Just take a rest, I will take your leave now.¡±


    I only nodded to her as she walked out and closed the door behind her, staring at me intently while


    Drusiall¡¯s back was turned towards her.


    ¡°Ok, so how do you feel?¡± She asked me and I offered weakly, ¡°As if I went through a skewer?¡±


    Drusiughed. ¡°I am so sorry. I should not ask when I have no idea what it was like for you. I always


    heard stories of others of how their first shift was painful while they gradually learned the process and


    how to not pass out under their Alpha¡¯s supervision.¡±


    I smiled at her, ¡°No worries. Until a few hours ago, I did not know that either.¡±


    Cynthia¡¯s words were still lingering in my mind and so I asked Drusi, ¡°So the ball? Was the event a


    sess?¡±


    Drusi¡¯s eyes perked up at the question.


    ¡°Well it is still going on but yes it is a sess. Everybody was impressed by the arrangements, the


    flower decorations, and stuff. You deserve appreciation and congrattions.¡±


    Drusi pped and cheered for me but I was in no mood to celebrate. I only smiled weakly and she


    added, ¡°Well, it looks like you are feeling quite tired so how about I let you sleep then? If you need


    anything, give me a call, okay?


    1 answered with a shrug, ¡°I don¡¯t have a mobile. Never had one. I wasn¡¯t allowed to.¡±


    Drusi bit her lower lip nervously, ¡°Uh, well then for now, you can just press that button on the side


    table.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I said as she got up from the chair and walked outside, letting me fall asleep. But I was too


    worked up to do that.


    I had transformed but only partially. Now, I had toe up with other ns to ensure my survival.


    I had to be strong enough to shift and not feel tired so that my wolf would take overfortably.


    Too many thoughts were clouding my mind, and I started pacing the room.


    It was making me ustrophobic but I did not want to walk out while the party was still going on.


    And then the thought struck me.


    If I had a wolf¡­then¡­could I also have a mate?


    But then would my mate even want me? I was already ate bloomer and now I had gone my rather


    iplete first shift.


    Worry began to gnaw at my lip. Hell, I had not even spoken to my wolf, yet.


    Was she there yet or would she only speak to me after I achieve mastery over the shifting?


    My pacing increased as well as my heartbeat but I did not have any answers. Feeling bothered, I


    grabbed the jug of water and emptied all of it over my head while throwing the windows open.


    Just like a few moments ago, when I had felt the cold breeze caress my skin, I felt it again. But then I


    recalled something else I hadpletely forgotten.


    The Lycan King had stripped me naked and I was still wearing nothing except his coat.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    The dance with Zenovia had driven Beast on the edge. He was getting harder to control and my


    restraint was slipping day by day as the innocent girl stayed just a few rooms away from me, right


    under my roof.


    I had every right to touch her, to im her, yet it felt awfully wrong. She definitely was not using her


    body or looks to woo me yet I was feeling attracted to her.


    And Beast was making things hard for me with his constant bickering. That is also why I wanted to find


    a solution to his growing irritation.


    Beast was a Lycan, a wild animal who had to mate, unlike humans, who could control their desires.


    And ever since noticing that she was affecting me, Beast made it a point to put scandalous thoughts in


    my brain involving her.


    It was as if I was not only at war with the outside world but also with my Lycan. What Drusi had been


    saying so far of my Lycan wanting to take control had seemed like an event that was decades away,


    but from the past few weeks, I began to notice that it was already unfolding.


    Hence, I had reluctantly agreed to go to the ball, but Cynthia just did not make me feel the way Zenovia


    did. Just what was so special in her?


    Maybe, I liked a challenge.


    And Zenovia had looked absolutely gorgeous in that off shoulder dress of hers that I was itching to tear


    away off her body and take a look at the treasure hidden beneath it.


    So, I was totally taken off guard when I found her lying on the ground, howling in pain. I did tear off her


    clothes, just like she asked, but she was in too much pain for me to even focus on her body.


    She was frail and tiny, her long slender legs were covered in little scars that I wanted to kiss and take


    away all her pain. And those sweet little breasts were perfect for me to squeeze and y with.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°King Cahan, so do you agree to the deal?¡±


    I heard a voice speaking to me, but I was too busy imagining how it would feel to kiss those perky little


    breasts of my littlemb.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    I asked, and Alpha West tried not to frown.


    ¡°The deal, King. I am supposed to have a meeting with the rogue leader and cate him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, if you cannot put sense into him, I can simply put his head on a spike to show his minions


    what it means to go against us.¡±


    Alpha West leaned forward, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°I understand, but that will only make another one take his ce and start this all over again. It is not


    necessary for you to step in every little fight and take off those filthy rogues. They are beneath you,


    King.¡±


    He said while looking around the table where the other alphas were seated. I stole a nce at my beta,


    who gave me a subtle nod, wanting to agree with Alpha West.


    ¡°Very well. Have your friendly conversation with this leader and ensure that he learns to watch his step


    because I am not. very lenient when ites to giving out punishment.¡±


    I warned him and gave me a short bow. ¡°Very well, King¡±


    The meeting had been dragging on for hours and I presented the few uses I wanted changed


    between the treaty he was going to propose to the rogue leader.


    I also had some amendments for pack leaders to renew and ensure nobody came bickering to me,


    arguing the other party stole their warriors or attacked unnecessarily.


    By the time, the meeting was over and everything signed, my head felt on fire. The alphas left the


    meeting room, and I even asked Mateo and Elijah to leave me alone for a few minutes so that I could


    clear my head.


    They left as I leaned back in my chair, my head thrown back as I heard the footsteps of people leaving.


    However, when I opened my eyes, I saw Cynthia walk inside. She offered me a smile and was holding


    a tray in her hands.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    I asked as she brought the tray inside with some cups and saucers.


    ¡°I sensed that the meeting was tiring, and you needed something refreshing¡±


    She said, and I smiled at her. Cynthia set the tray on the table and began preparing the coffee.


    ¡°Sugar?¡±


    ¡°Just one spoon¡±


    ¡°Milk?¡±


    ¡°A little¡±


    She plucked a stirrer off the tray and stirred the coffee for a while before handing the cup over to me.


    ¡°Here¡±


    I took a sip and had the coffee. It was not my usual drink, but the hot and slightly strong taste made me


    feel a bit refreshed.


    ¡°Thank you, but you really did not have to do this¡±


    Cynthia replied. ¡°I am just getting used to my future life with you¡±


    She said with a smile and as much as I wanted to not crush her hopes, I could not help but blurt.


    ¡°You do understand that we are not mates. I am never going to find one while you can. Don¡¯t sacrifice


    your life for a person who is not yours.¡±


    Her bright smile disappeared as she pushed a lock of hair back. ¡°I believe marriage is a powerful bond,


    much like the mate bond. And two people who might not be mates can still coexist and live happily


    together.¡±


    Cynthia said with a tinge of hope, and I rubbed my temple. She had always been nice and sweet to me,


    even a little flirty, but that was the case for almost every girl who spoke to me.


    ¡°Yes, but you do not have to give up on your mate because of me, Cynthia. I can talk to your father and


    change his mind. If we both disagree to this union, you are free to wait for your mate.¡±


    Cynthia bit her lower lip nervously. ¡°Can I tell you something?¡±


    I took another sip as she continued. ¡°I¡­I will be honest with you that I have a crush on you. There is no


    use denying that. You might not feel the same for me right now, but trust me when I say this, my father


    is not really forcing me into this


    union.¡±


    She said, and I did not know how to make it less awkward. She was beautiful; she was intelligent, and


    she had alpha genes. in her body. She would definitely make a nice Luna and be a great addition to


    any pack.


    But I did not feel a thing for her. And I did not want to be so cruel as to make someone leave their


    future for me.


    ¡°Listen Cynthia. You are a nice girl and now you might feel obligated to obey your father, but what will


    happen when your mate shows up? Will you really have the courage to reject him? For me? I am


    cursed, you know that.¡±


    She went down to her knees and reached for my hands. I could not be rude to pull back, so I let her


    grab my hands as she cupped my hands with her own.


    ¡°Please, I might not be someone who you feel anything for right now, but I will work hard to receive


    your attention and your love. Please don¡¯t take away that chance from me.¡±


    Cynthia said as she began sobbing, her head resting on my hands. I felt her warm tears trickle down


    my knuckles and softly pulled my hands out of her embrace before holding her by the shoulders.


    ¡°Look up at me, please.¡± She was sobbing, but I reached for a tissue and held it in front of her. She


    dabbed her eyes as I replied,


    ¡°I am not sure why your father would want you to suffer. But know this, Cynthia- the marriage will only


    be on paper. Don¡¯t expect me to touch you or even sleep in the same bed as you. We will be a union,


    but only for the outside world. Here, inside the mansion, you will live in a separate room.¡±


    Her eyes


    brimmed with fresh tears as she dissolved in another fit of sobs.


    ¡°Do you like someone else? Why would you agree to a union and not touch me? Is that how you would


    want to see me live the rest of my life with you?¡±


    She was crying and hurting, and she had every right to do so. But I could not offer her much in that


    regard.


    ¡°I think you should go home and think about it carefully. If your father has some conditions, I have some


    of my own, too, The choice is yours.¡±


    I said and got up from the seat. Cynthia, too, got up from the floor and walked out of the meeting room.


    I expected her to be sad or even angry with me, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.


    ¡°I will work hard to make you want me, King¡±


    And with that, she stepped away, sashaying her hips as she sauntered towards the stairs. However, I


    suddenly heard a lot of howling and my ears perked..


    Not even a secondter. I was hit by a mouth watering scent.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    I stepped outside and heard the unmistakable sound of the wolves howling. What the fuck was going


    on?


    I threw around a confused look and I saw they all had a dazed look on their faces. My beta and gamma


    had left the ball to leave a few guests and girls whose packs were quite far from my mansion.


    I did not want anyone to get hurt so I instructed them to drop thedies home safely. That left just me in


    the mansion. along with the servants and maids.


    The wolves were howling and trying to trespass my front yard but when I showed up a few of them put


    their tails in between their legs and ran away.


    All this while, I could also smell the scent wafting at me as the soft breeze carried it to me. My feet


    turned around automatically and I saw myself walking in the direction of the scent.


    After five minutes, I was in the backyard looking around through the dark to ascertain the source.


    And then I heard a noise, a soft whimper. My ears pricked and I immediatelyunched myself into the


    bushes.


    When I parted the leaves, I saw Zenovia lying on the ground, twitching again.


    When I reached her, she immediately got on her fours and the intensity of the scent hit me with full


    force.


    Zenovia was in heat and that was the reason the wolves were all howling around the mansion.


    ¡®Fuck¡± I cursed in my mind as I tried to make her get up.


    ¡°Zee, you cannot be here. I told you to stay inside the room, right?¡±


    I asked but she was not in a condition to listen. ¡°I am¡­I am sorry. I tried but¡­but I¡­this is too much..¡±


    She tried to exin but was probably feeling too shy to speak those words out loud to me.


    The wolves were drawn in by her scent as she was an unmated female and they wanted to mark her.


    And I could not let that happen.


    Not because I wanted to mark her but she was not ready yet. Her transformation had been iplete


    and her body was probably in an overdrive.


    I had not smelled such a strong scent of any unmated female before and I had been around plenty of


    females when they awakened their wolves.


    Something was clearly wrong with her and her wolf. But now was not the time to make her understand


    that.


    Zenovia¡¯s eyes lit up with desire as she stared at me and crawled near my legs.


    ¡°I¡­.I am not sure what is happening to me. I have this¡­.this urge to¡­to¡­¡± She tried to speak and


    tugged at her hair, trying to exin her predicament to me.


    ¡°To want to be imed by a wolf. I understand¡± I said and I felt a slight tinge of relief flooding her eyes.


    ¡°I¡­I am sorry, I think I should stay away from you for tonight.¡± She said and got up from the ground.


    But I stopped her, ¡°Are you out of your mind? I know what you are going through. Your transition has


    been weird and your hormones are messing with you. Do you think I would let you go alone in the


    woods?¡±


    However, Zenovia shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. 1¡­I am feeling things¡­odd things¡­..I


    should not be with you right now.¡±


    She said as her eyes tried to hide the desire pooling in her eyes. And as much as I knew that it was her


    heat forcing her to feel all those things, I was happy that all of that was being subjected to me.


    Ever since I had seen her, I was intrigued by her and now she had blossomed into a wolf¡­or at least


    starting to.


    The wolves let out a howl outside again and I did not wait for her to respond. I simply pulled her close


    and threw her on my shoulder as I began walking inside..


    On the way I instructed the servants to keep all the doors and windows perfectly locked so that no


    intruder would slip in.


    After that, I walked back upstairs as she tried to get off my hold. And the fact that her scent was even


    closer to my face, making me lose my restraint was killing me.


    I coiled my hands into fists as I climbed up thest flight of stairs and threw the door open with my foot.


    13:271


    I ced her on the bed and meant to close the door but she was beside me in an instant. Her wolf was


    showing up in flickers of random outbursts I guessed.


    ¡°Please, I.I can¡¯t control myself. This is driving me mad. D¨Cdo you have something to put me to sleep?¡±


    She asked but I knew the answer to that. Even if I did put her to sleep, her body will keep releasing the


    scent and the wolves would try to break in.


    There was only one way to save her from the wolves. I either had to find out her mate and throw him in


    her face or I had to mark her myself.


    When I would mark her or her mate would do that, she would no longer be an ¡®avable¡® female. An


    alpha¡¯s mark worked as well as the mate¡¯s mark.


    But the problem was that I did not want her to wake up tomorrow and regret this decision. So, I nodded,


    ¡°Fine, I will find you a sleeping pill¡±


    I began walking outside but she pulled me close again. ¡°Please, can you not leave me alone tonight? I


    feel anxious and


    nervous.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I will return with the pill shortly,¡± I said and walked out. When I returned she had changed into a


    nightgown.


    My heart ached a bit to know that she was no longer dressed in just my coat but I did not show it.


    Zenovia begged me to help her and as much as I did not want her to think I was taking advantage of


    her situation, I could not say no to her innocent face.


    I was not even sure if she realized her scent was mouth watering and staying near her but not doing


    anything to calm Beast


    would drive me nuts.


    She looked perplexed with her hormones driving her crazy while her rational brain not wanting to just


    give in to the desire and just let anyone mark her.


    Yeah, it seemed like she had more restraint and resolve than I did. I let out a sigh and pulled her into a


    hug as she whispered.


    ¡°The wolves¡­their howling¡­it feels as if they are standing just next to me. My senses are exploding


    too.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    She spoke as she buried her face in my shirt. Yeah, I had forgotten that. She was also going through a


    sensory overload.


    Usually, the females go in heat a littlete but since she was ate bloomer, I think everything was


    happening to her at


    once.


    Zenovia was afraid and she looked at me with uncertain eyes. I held her face in my hands and cupped


    her innocent face.


    ¡°Yeah, just know that all of this is part of what you are now. You are a werewolf, just like us. You are no


    ordinary wolfless girl.¡±


    I smiled at her and she gave me a radiant smile while trying to not sob.


    ¡°Thank you. You are a very well¨Cbuilt lycan as well¡± She said, trying to hide her blush. And Beast


    growled low in the back of my head.


    ¡°She isplimenting me. I want to meet her¡± He insisted but I only red at him.


    ¡°Shut up¡±


    Thankfully, he went quiet.


    And I slowly guided her to bed. ¡°I think you need some rest. Get some sleep and you will feel better


    tomorrow¡±


    She nodded her head and got in the bed while I pulled on the sheets.


    ¡°C¨Ccan I ask you to..?¡± she felt shy again and I saw the blush rise up her cheeks.


    ¡°Ask me what Zee?¡± I asked and she spoke after a lot of hesitation.


    ¡°Can you like¡­put me to sleep. It felt nice to be in your embrace.¡±


    She answered truthfully and her innocence was driving me mad. It was also getting harder to imagine


    just lying in bed with her given the way her scent was still making me hard.


    But I took a deep breath to remind myself to not screw this up. Zenovia was always yelling at me and


    doubting me so I needed to show her that I was under control and I was not going to take advantage of


    her.


    Then she would trust me and maybe we would start working on the anchor part.


    I nodded, ¡°Sure¡± and got into bed with her. She immediately curled up in a ball and scooted closer to


    me.


    12.07


    ?


    Her long silky hair spilled over my shoulders as she raised her head to ce it on my chest.


    I felt oddly content and peaceful, having her beside me. I had had a few girls share a bed with me when


    I was reckless and young but the contentment always came after I had fucked them.


    This was different. She was just lying beside me, assured that I would never hurt her or take advantage


    of her..


    And God, I wanted so badly to kiss her, to just get a taste of her so that I could keep functioning.


    Zenovia looked up at me, her lips inches away from mine, and then asked, ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    What an absurd question! How could I hate her?


    ¡°Not at all, go to sleep, Zee,¡± I said trying to run my hands over her back but then she pulled me down


    and my lips crashed on hers.


    ¡°Then please im me¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Cahan


    I was stunned by her request. I looked into her eyes that were craving my attention, my touch, and it


    was bing very hard for me to keep pushing her away.


    ¡°You¡­you just awakened your wolf, Zee. You are not ready yet¡± I tried to put some sense into her but


    she pulled me close and buried her face into my chest.


    I felt the way her checks rubbed against the fabric as she inhaled deeply. ¡°I am, these hormones or


    whatever they are, they are killing me. I can¡¯t stop myself.¡±


    She said and brought her lips closer to mine. Every single cell in my body wanted to im her, to mark


    her, but somehow I feared that she would not feel the same when she woke up tomorrow and sees my


    mark.


    But Zenovia was not in a condition to listen. Her wolf was already making her go through a weird phase


    and I was not even sure how she was in heat right away.


    ¡°Zee, you might regret this,¡± I spoke, but she brought her nose up towards mine and brushed it upon


    my nose.


    ¡°Then tell me you don¡¯t want me,¡± she said, and she brushed her lips over mine. I could not tell her that.


    My resolve was slowly crumbling. ¡°I¡­I think you would want your mate, not me.¡±


    I tried reasoning with her and I saw the way she let out an irritated breath. She pulled away and


    muttered, ¡°Well then fine. there are plenty more wolves waiting to im me.¡±


    I was up, and in front of her before she would step out of the room.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? You don¡¯t even know them and you want them to mark you?¡±


    She put her hands on her face and began to sob, ¡°I..I don¡¯t know what is happening to me. I¡­I swear I


    am not like this.¡±


    She said, and I ced my hands on her shoulders, ¡°I know you are a good girl. And you have to listen


    to me and go to sleep.


    She looked up at me, teary¨Ceyed, and replied, ¡°I know I am beneath you. You are the Lycan King and


    you would get any other girl of your choice.¡±


    She wiped her eyes away and retreated, ¡°I¡­I am sorry for my behavior. I will just lock myself in this


    room.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. But Zee, know this: if I mark you, you will be mine.¡± I said as Beast made me blurt those


    things without a filter.


    Her eyes shone with desire and she stepped close, ¡°Please¡±


    And before I could deny her request, she had propped herself up on her toes and leaned in to kiss me.


    And just like that, thest shred of resolve crumbled, and I pulled her close, mming my body onto


    hers as I kissed her.


    She moaned and her voice felt like music to my ears as I flipped her around and pinned her on the wall,


    her back facing


    1. me.


    Pushing her hair aside, I pulled the cor of her nightgown aside and gently ced a kiss on her neck.


    Her skin tasted exquisite, and I had gotten just a taste of it. So far, I had only kissed her once, and it


    had left me craving more of her.


    And now that she was willing to ask me to touch her, to kiss her, I could not stop myself. My shaft was


    already hard and poking out of my pants, digging into her backside as I pulled her dress aside, almost


    tearing it.


    The strap


    of her bra was visible, and I ran my tongue over it, before traveling its length down her back..


    ¡°Why did you dress up again if you wanted me to mark you?¡± I murmured against her skin as she tried


    to answer.


    ¡°I thought you would never touch me¡±


    She said, and I could not find the right words to tell her how wrong she was.


    I saw the way she shivered and writhed under my touch and I pulled the sleeve down, exposing half of


    her torso to me.


    There were a few scars on her body and I wanted to kiss each one of them, wanting to erase them


    from her body, from her


    life.


    She had her hands nted on the wall as I began doing just that. My lips were careful, tentative at first,


    but when she arched to give me more ess, I began kissing her hungrily.


    13:27


    I wanted to touch her everywhere, kiss her everywhere as I let my lips talk to her, letting her know how


    much I had wanted. this ever since I had set my eyes on her.


    ¡°Please,¡± she whimpered, and I kept kissing her as I asked, ¡°Please what?¡±


    ¡°Mark me,¡± she begged, and I smiled against her skin. I turned her around and pushed her on the wall


    again.


    She blinked furiously, but I could see the way she was hungrily looking at me.


    ¡°I will, littlemb. But I am going to do it my way.¡±


    Then I slowly crouched down and got on my knees. My face was directly in front of her legs, or her


    entrance and her scent was mouthwatering.


    ¡°Spread your legs a little,¡± I ordered and even I heard the way my voice turned husky. She nodded and


    did as instructed.


    I slowly reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it up. I brought my nose near her entrance and


    took a whiff.


    Her scent was truly delicious and could drive any wolf mad. The thought that any other rogue would


    come here and mark her made me growl angrily.


    This treasure was mine. I would never let anybody else mark her.


    I felt the way her knees trembled when my mouth was near her silky panties. I could not help it. I had to


    get a taste of her.


    So, I grabbed her knees and instructed, ¡°Try not to move a lot. You can ce your hands on the wall


    for support¡±


    I said that and slowly roamed my fingers over her legs. Her skin was soft and supple and I loved the


    way she shuddered whenever I brought my hands closer to her entrance, but then pulled back.


    Her heartbeat increased every single time I did that, and I was simply loving her reaction.


    And her scent was driving me crazy. So I slowly let my finger travel towards the flimsy fabric and


    pushed it aside.


    The cool air hit her skin, and I brought my face closer, brushing my lips softly upon her soft skin.


    She let out a moan and squealed, ¡°Please..¡±


    I loved the way she begged, and I wanted her to beg for my touch a bit more.


    I brought my hands up and slowly pushed my fingers inside as she began trembling wildly. Her pussy


    was soaking wet and soon my fingers were coated in her juices.


    She was writhing and moaning under my touch and the next second; I had torn the fabric of her


    panties, leaving her clit bare for me to see.


    She tried to bring her legs together, apparently ovee by shyness, but I pushed her legs wide apart


    again.


    My thumb circled her entrance while the index finger kept stroking her insides as she struggled to stand


    upright.


    ¡°Please¡­I..can¡¯t¡±


    She said betweenbored breaths, and I could feel the way her juices were beginning to leak all over


    again. Her thighs. clenched and the way she trembled with need made me want to tease her even


    more.


    I pushed in two fingers instead of one and then stroked her a bit hard and she let out a scream of pure


    desire.


    ¡°Aah¡±


    I brought out my fingers and sucked at them. She tasted just as I had expected- sweet and delicious.


    ¡°You have wrecked me,¡± I said and the next second she quaked and muttered, ¡°I¡­I aming. Oh


    Goddess¡±


    But then I immediately pulled my hands out. ¡°No, I am not done yet. Hold on a bit longer.¡± I said in my


    lycan King voice and she trembled again..


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t,¡± she whimpered, and I decided to help her a bit. Holding one of her legs up, I threw it on my


    shoulder and she gave a startled cry.


    I did the same with the next one and now her entrance was angled to be directly in front of my mouth.


    She looked down at me as I licked at the corner of my lips as some of her juices had managed to


    escape.


    Zenovia turned a bright shade of red when she saw me flick my tongue out and capture the escaping


    drop.


    ¡°You can put all your weight on me. Sit tight,¡± I said and before she had time to react, I began fucking


    her with my mouth.


    ¡°Ahhhhh¡±


    She cried when my lips found her folds and traced along the edges. More of her juices flowed, and I


    could not help but


    13:27 1


    flick my tongue out to lick every single drop


    Zenovia was too tight and there was no point in fucking her right now when she was crumbling down.


    I would bury myself inside her when she got used to my strength and her wolf. But for now, I would


    ravage her with just


    my mouth.


    ¡°Keep shouting all you want. The servants and maids are all on the other side of the wing¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Her legs were hanging down my shoulders as I kept exploring her pussy with my mouth. I could see the


    way her breathing grewbored and squeezed her butt. holding her firmly in ce because she was


    wriggling a lot.


    ¡°Stay still. Zee.¡± I said, and she gulped nervously. She was only in her bra right now and I could see


    every inch of her skin wanting me. She was heavenly.


    Tonight I was going to wreck her and leave her wanting nobody else but me. Tonight, I was going to


    show her the difference between an ordinary werewolf and a Lycan.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Zenovia


    If anybody would have said to me a few weeks ago that I would willingly submit to the Lycan King, I


    would haveughed at


    them.


    But my hormones were making me want him, crave him. Yes, that is why I was behaving like this, I told


    myself.


    Ever since he had kissed me, I had been aching for his touch, for his smile directed at me. And now, he


    was tearing my clothes, fucking me with a finger.


    I was trembling with need as he expertly dipped his thumb inside me and stroked my sensitive skin,


    making me giddy. with a rush of pleasure.


    I was pinned to the wall, my legs wide apart and the Lycan King was on his knees, stroking me.


    It was both glorious and scandalous. But at this moment, it felt like the right thing to do.


    I braced myself, trying to hold on to the wall for support as his fingers kept assaulting me. I was shaking


    and trembling as Cahan pushed another finger inside.


    I was already trying to not crumble when he ordered me to stay still and brought his mouth down on my


    entrance.


    I arched forward and let out a moan that I did not know I was capable of producing. But his full lips


    were too much, all of this was too much.


    I was sitting on his shoulders, my back pressed to the wall and my legs crossed behind his head as he


    kept fucking me with his mouth.


    In a matter of minutes, I was sweating, panting like crazy while Cahan explored my folds. It was very


    hard to stay with his tongue flicking around, and his lips suckling the tender flesh.


    still


    His hands held me in ce, squeezing my butt to make me arch further into his mouth. It was too much


    to process. I could not keep up with him.


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t breathe,¡± I panted, and at that exact moment Cahan brought out his teeth and softly bit


    onto my bud, making stars explode in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Ahhhhh,¡± I cried, and I heard him chuckle as I shivered and writhed in his arms. I wanted to touch him,


    to hold on to him, so I reached for his head.


    The Lycan King should have pushed my hands away, but he let me tug at his hair and my fingers


    roamed through his soft, silky hair.


    I could hear him growl as my knees quaked and my thighs clenched. Cahan looked up at me after I


    ced my hands on his head, and I saw pure desire in his eyes.


    ¡°Enjoying it, Zee?¡± He asked and got up from the floor while still carrying me on his shoulders.


    His hands squeezed my butt when I did not answer him immediately.


    ¡°Y¨Cyes,¡± I said as he reached for my hair that had fallen on my face and pushed them behind.


    ¡°Where are your manners?¡± He asked, and I looked at him curiously.


    His hand lightly smacked my butt as I added, ¡°Yes, your majesty¡±


    Cahan smiled at me and then turned around and, in an instant, had thrown me onto the bed. The


    mattress was super soft, and the sheets felt like they were made of clouds.


    I fell on the bed with a soft thud while Cahan brought his finger to his mouth and caught some of my


    juices on his finger.


    While maintaining eye contact, he pushed that finger in his mouth and tasted it, making heat rise up my


    cheeks. ¡°Do you still want me to mark you?¡± He asked and I saw the way he looked at me with


    anticipation, as if he wanted to do


    that too.


    He looked massive from this angle and his broad torso was hiding beneath his clothes. He was still fully


    clothed but I was


    stark naked.


    Was this how a Lycan King chose a breeder? Was this how a mate made love to his partner?


    I had no idea, but my heart and my body wanted him at that moment. I was in heat and there was no


    other man I had ever thought about except him.


    13.28


    And now he was standing in front of me, approaching the bedzily as Iy naked in front of him. His


    eyes raked over my skin, and I saw the way a spark of heat rushed into his eyes when his gaze fell on


    my breasts.


    Cahan slowly came to the bed and sat beside me, slowly reaching for a tendril of hair and tucking it


    behind the ear.


    ¡°This might not feel like the right time to talk, but I want to tell you this. My mark on you would only


    make matters worse for you. Since I am cursed, my mark will only make other men know that you are


    taken. They would not know who your mate is since I am not supposed to have one. Even if your mate


    is in front of you, you will not be able to sense it.¡±


    He said while he climbed on top of me, pushing my legs apart.


    It should have scared me, but surprisingly, it did not. In the three four weeks that I had spent here,


    Cahan could have touched me, forced me to bed if he wanted to.


    But he always kept his distance from me. The distance was bing unbearable to me right now.


    ¡°Do you still want me to do it?¡± He asked, one of his hands brushing my chin while the other yed


    with my hair.


    His cologne had a mouthwatering scent, and I was itching to see him bare chested.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said and not even a secondter he grabbed my hands in his own and pinned them above my


    head.


    ¡°Then you have to y it by my rules. You are going to mine, Zee. Just mine¡± He said and I did not


    have much of a choice since my pussy was aching with the need for him.


    ¡°Pleaseeeee¡± I begged, and he smiled before lowering his head down.


    ¡°I am going to eat you, littlemb.¡±


    The next second, he had raised my legs and thrown them on his shoulders while spreading my legs as


    wide as possible and his mouth slowly came near my entrance and I shivered when he took a whiff.


    ¡°Fucking siren,¡± He breathed and slowly began kissing my entrance¡¯s outer lip. I fisted with the sheets


    and thrashed as anticipation build inside me.


    He was being so slow, his touches and strokes tantalizing and leaving me begging for more.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Scream my name, littlemb. I want you to hear how much you want me.¡±


    And scream I did.


    His tongue flicked on my sensitive spot followed by his teeth that bit into the soft flesh before his tongue


    flicked over the same spot again.


    It was as if he was giving me both pain and pleasure at the same time, and I could not quite focus on


    any single emotion.


    ¡°Cahan!!!¡±


    I kept screaming as he kept chewing, sucking, and licking me. My knees were trembling and I could


    feel my orgasm building up.


    I believe he could sense it too, based on the way my muscles were clenching and unclenching.


    ¡°I¡­I am going toe¡­¡± I said and in that instant he pulled back, making the skin prickle with heat.


    I knew I was red and raw down there, but my thirst for him had not yet quenched. Cahan got up and


    then flipped me around.


    My perky ass jiggled as he squeezed it a little before letting his teeth sink in my flesh. A cry left my lips


    again as he sucked onto the skin, biting with just a bit of force so that his teeth left a mark.


    My skin felt the prickle of heat when his mark was imprinted on my skin. I thought he would leave a


    mark on me on my neck or shoulder that the others would easily see.


    But he chose to put it on my butt cheek. Not that I had any issues with it. I wanted his lips to kiss every


    inch of me.


    ¡°Why_why there?¡± I asked as my cheeks med and he flipped me over, spreading my legs wide apart


    again.


    ¡°Because that will be a ce nobody except me will ever see again¡± He held my gaze as if waiting for


    me to challenge that


    im..


    But I knew the heat in me would only quell when I get my orgasm. And he was ready to let me have it.


    When I did not say anything, he only lowered his head back and buried it in my thighs. This time he


    was not patient or slow.


    Cahan attacked me with his mouth, making me scream and moan and write as I thrashed against his


    hold. He grabbed my butt and pulled me close, throwing my legs wide and instructing me to hold them


    up as he kept biting.


    13:28


    1 found my release sooner than I would have, had he kept teasing me but I exploded and Cahan


    held onto my waist. tightly as I felt my juices leaking out.


    But he did not let any of it go to waste and patiently sucked and licked every drop of it. After the


    crashing euphoria came another wave that was much stronger, but it was of exhaustion.


    It felt like I had run a marathon while I had been lying on the bed. My thighs and legs hurt and my


    entrance felt raw, too. But I felt content.


    The heat rising up in me and wreaking havoc in my body was satiated, and I did not even realize when


    my eyes grew heavy and when I let sleep overtake my senses.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Zenovia


    Iy curled up in the bed, buried in the sheets as I let myself sleep soundly after what felt like an


    eternity.


    The room was cozy and the bed felt like it was stuffed with clouds. Despite the massive bed, Iy on it,


    curled like a ball except for my hair that was flying all around.


    My mind had woken as I was used to getting up quite carly, mostly always before the crack of dawn,


    and rushing to get a cold shower before running outside my dingy cabin to start working on the chores.


    My eyes barely opened a millimeter, and I hazily saw the soft sunlight filtering in through the


    windowpanes.


    I blinked a few times, but no matter how much I tried, it felt like sleep did not want to let go of me. A


    yawn left my mouth that I tried to stifle but failed miserably.


    Half of my mind felt sleepy, but some part of it was restlessly awake. I moved barely an inch, but my


    legs felt as if they were made of lead.


    Even the soft breeze felt like a raging tornado to my cars and I wondered why that was the case. And


    then I suddenly recalled I was not wolfless anymore.


    And with that realization, my senses went into overdrive again. I began to hear the distant voices of


    servants and maids happily chatting on the other side of the mansion wing, the sounds of birds chirping


    on faraway trees amplified as if they were just beside me.


    I raised my hands to my ears to drown the noise and tightly shut my eyes. Iy there, trying to fight the


    sensory overload, when another memory came crashing to me. When I looked down, I noticed that I


    was stark naked.


    I seldom slept naked, so I was only beginning to wonder how that happened when I recalled the night I


    had spent with the Lycan King himself.


    He had kissed me, devoured me, and made me scream his name. I felt a pleasant shudder running up


    my spine at the recollection of his hands on my bare body and his mouth buried in between my legs.


    But then I also recalled I was the one who had asked him to do that. I had begged him to fuck me, to


    mark me.


    Goodness, what a creep and a total wannabe I must have looked at him. Every little detail of how he


    yed with my hair. pushed me to the wall, ordered me to stay still, and roam his tongue inside me


    kept ying over and over in my brain.


    Oh dear moon Goddess, what would he even think of me? I had not evenpleted my first


    transformation, and I had already asked him to im me.


    Wait, had he


    My head was throbbing with pain, and I slowly pulled myself up into a sitting position. Thankfully, the


    doors were closed. and there was nobody in the passageway. Now, I understood why my legs,


    specifically my core, felt so raw.


    Cahan had chewed and licked me down to thest drop. A shiver ran down my spine at that thought


    and I felt embarrassed to see him again.


    Now that all these thoughts were bombarding my mind, I could not sleep. So, I grudgingly pushed


    myself a bit toward the edge of the bed but got tangled in the sheets and slumped on the bed again.


    It was as if the bed did not want me to leave. I smiled at that thought and slowly swung my legs over


    the edge of the bed and let my feet touch the cool wooden floor. I tentatively checked if my knees


    would carry my weight and, after a moment or two, slowly straightened while holding on to the


    bedframe for support.


    Every single muscle ached, so I took a moment to stretch my limbs, feeling the tightness in my muscles


    due to the awakening and how my body was trying to adjust to the changes


    Rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms, I made my way toward the washroom and turned the tap


    on. Every muscle protested as if reminding me of the intensity of the changes in my body coupled with


    my first experience with sex.


    Ignoring the difort, I looked up and the first thing I noticed was how my entire body felt red and


    raw. Even the water droplets felt like needle pricks, and I saw a few light bite marks on my body.


    That reminded me of something, so I turned back to get a look at my ass, and sure enough, there it


    was, Cahan¡¯s mark on my butt cheek.


    The others would fade and were already pale white, but this one was dark and more pronounced. A


    violent shudder of pleasure erupted from my core to think that he had marked me there.


    Iran my fingers over it and I felt a spark, so I quickly pulled away. It was like a static charge, and I knew


    I needed a hot bath to soothe my aching muscles.


    Thus, I stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water that rxed my muscles. Grabbing one of


    the many scented shower gels from the shelf randomly, Ithered and began to scrub myself nicely,


    ensuring everyst bit of dirt was


    Chapte


    removed from me.


    I turned around and took the hot water on my back, letting it flow through my hair as I felt another little


    spark on my skin, especially where the mark was.


    I looked down at it again, but it only appeared a little red. The mark seemed to be permanent, and I felt


    aroused thinking the way he had left a mark on my ass.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    I shook my head. Since when had I begun fantasizing so much about the Lycan King? The one night I


    had spent with him. was enough to keep my heat at bay, and after having my first glorious orgasm, I felt


    much more rxed.


    I also felt relieved knowing that no more wolves would try to lunge at me, even if my scent wafted at


    them. I had no idea how scents and mate bonds worked, but Cahan had assured me his mark would


    not let any other man look at me lustfully, and for now, I was okay with that.


    After spending the night with him, I did not even believe I would want any other person to be my mate.


    His touch and feel on my skin were heavenly and I could not even imagine wanting another male


    kissing me.


    Smiling to myself, I rinsed off the shampoo and soap and stepped out of the shower, wrapping the


    towel around my body.


    I looked at the sky and saw the sun setting on the horizon. ¡°I take it that you spentst night quite well¡±


    A familiar voice reached my ears from behind. I turned around to see Drusi smiling at me.)


    I looked at her in confusion, wondering if she knew how my night had transpired, but she added, ¡°I


    mean, now you are a werewolf too. Everybody keeps saying how it is a big event in your lives and the


    first transformation almost kills you.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief at that, smiled back at her, and replied, ¡°Oh, yes, I barely managed to awaken


    my wolf and passed out, but yeah, I am still alive¡±


    ¡°And how do you feel?¡± She asked.


    ¡°A bit tired and sore,¡± I answered honestly.


    Drusi ced a hand on her hips and did a fake pout. ¡°Come on, Cahan found you in the woods


    when you awakened your wolf, and I know he put you to bed. Give my best friend some credit. He is


    not that bad¡±


    I tried to hide the blush rising up my cheeks, recalling the way her best friend had sucked me dry as


    she took a few steps to stand beside me. If only she knew how good her best friend was and how my


    mind ran wild at the thought of him touching me again.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± I said, and she added, ¡°I mean, yes, he is a bit rough and orders everybody around, but


    he is like a coconut, you know. Hard on the outside and soft on the inside¡±


    Again, my brain brought up the image of him ordering me to spread my legs wide apart as he licked my


    juices.


    I shook my head. I had to stop thinking about him.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Zenovia


    I might not bepletely wolfless now, but I had yet to do aplete transformation. My wolf had not


    shown up in my


    head either.


    The process had just begun before my body copsed, then I went into heat and Cahan had to mark


    me.


    It was not as if he had done that willingly and he would most probably want a strong werewolf by his


    side, not a girl who could not even properly awaken her wolf.


    I had to stop dreaming about him and focus on connecting with my inner wolf. Partly, I think I had also


    asked him to mark. me because I did not want others to know I had failed at my first transformation.


    I had already been treated as trash because of being ate bloomer and now if people learned that I


    unexpectedly awakened my wolf or tried to, when it was not even my birthday¡­I would be a


    laughing stock for everyone again.


    I did not want that. Also, the fact that Cahan¡¯s mark was hidden from everyone would give me time to


    properly connect with my wolf and then have better control of myself and my emotions if I ever went in


    heat again.


    And a tiny part of me hoped that Cahan would be the one to quench my heat this time too.


    1 shook my head for the millionth time and reprimanded myself for not being able to control my


    thoughts.


    ¡°Hey, where are you lost?¡± Drusi asked, and I mumbled. ¡°Nothing. So did you sleep well yesterday?¡±


    Drusi nodded her head and began talking about something random excitedly.


    She seemed like a very nice person and she was theplete opposite of Cahan. While Cahan


    was blunt, rude, and bossy. Dru was chirpy, smiled a lot, and offered a pleasingpany.


    I could not even imagine how the two could be best friends with such opposite personalities.


    She kept talking about the people she met at the ball while I listened to her. She was quickly turning out


    to be a friend I would like to keep for life.


    We were sitting at a table as we saw the servants take off the setup, flowers, and arrangements from


    yesterday night.


    I did not have much supervision to do, so I sat outside with her by a table, watching the surroundings


    while chatting with


    her.


    It was almost midnight when she finally said, ¡°I am tired, I need to sleep. I have been talking for hours¡°.


    I looked at the watch and realized that I had spent hours talking to her about the most random stuff.


    ¡°Oh then please go take some rest. Sorry to hold you up¡±


    Drusi stifled a yawn while looking at me quizzically. ¡°And you? Are you not tired? We have not eaten


    anything since evening.¡±


    I lied. ¡°The morning lunch was very filling and I don¡¯t feel hungry yet¡±


    My stomach grumbled at the same time, and she stuck her tongue out.


    ¡°Liar,e let us eat something and then I will dump you in your room.¡±


    It felt nice to have someone care for me after such a long time. Back home, nobody ever cared if I had


    been working for hours or had not eaten anything.


    I had learned to satisfy my hunger by forcing some cold bread down my throat and drinking gallons of


    water to make me feel full.


    But I guess my stomach was craving some delicious food again. Maybe it was my wolf, who was


    making me feel hungry.


    I hoped she would show up soon and talk to me.


    While I was wondering about my wolf, Drusi grabbed my arm and began dragging me inside.


    ¡°Ohe on, I know you are hungry, let us eat something¡±


    I tried to refuse, saying that it was an odd hour, and the maids were probably overworked and must


    have gone to sleep.


    Drusi turned to look at me with an amused smile and replied, ¡°This mansion never really sleeps¡±


    And before I could argue further, we were inside therge hall of the mansion and I did see a lot of


    activity.


    There were a few servants repairing some stuff, a few taking cutlery through the stairs up towards


    Cahan¡¯s office, and maids hurrying up and down as well.


    Confused, I threw Drusi a look and she gave me a look that said, ¡°Told you¡±


    ¡°Cahan works like a madman, he is alwaysing up with something to keep himself upied and


    the rest of us too. So


    11.01


    don¡¯t bother, you are not dragging anyone out of their sleep.¡±


    Drusi walked forward and she called out to Maria.


    ¡°Hey Maria, do you have something for us?¡±


    Maria, who was carrying a tray filled with tea kettle and cups, nodded her head vigorously.


    She called out to another servant and asked him to take it upstairs while she came towards us.


    ¡°Yes, I kept seeing you two sitting outside and enjoying the sunset but then you two never left the table.


    I kept wondering when you girls would feel hungry.¡±


    Maria looked at me with a kind smile and added, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    My eyes, however, were on the servants rushing into Cahan¡¯s office.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked, eyeing the hubbub, and she waved her hand, ¡°Oh nothing. His Majesty


    loves to have hot tea or coffee when he is working on something. And he has had like 10 cups already


    but still wants more.¡±


    My eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Ten cups already?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is nothing. You should see when he is awake all night. He finishes around 30-40 cups of


    coffee easily. And when he still feels drowsy, he then switches to tea.¡±


    I looked at Drusi, but she simply stifled a yawn and added, ¡°Enough of Cahan talk. I am hungry!!


    Let us eat!!¡±


    Maria chuckled as Drusi dragged me towards the dining hall while Maria brought in some food.


    It was just as delicious as my first lunch with Drusi and I felt full almost immediately, but I could not


    stop myself from taking a bite of everything that was offered.


    Drusi finished her dish first and gave a satisfied smile, ¡°Goodness, now I am drowsy. It is fun to have


    company to eat.¡±


    I yed with the spoon and fork on my te. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have lunch or dinner together?¡±


    I asked. Ever sincest night. I had not seen Cahan.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    I had been sitting outside with Drusi, hoping that he woulde to talk to her, but he was nowhere to


    be seen.


    Just what was keeping him so busy?


    And what if afterst night, he thought of me like a clingy, creepy girl? Or maybe he did not want to see


    me again after seeing how bad I was, both at sex and controlling my emotions.


    How would I even meet his eyes again? Part of me wanted to never see him again, but another thought


    I had to apologize to force himself to mark me. My brain was confused, and I did not know whether to


    look for him or hide.


    I tried to ignore that thought as I got up from the dining table and bid Drusi goodnight. Walking up the


    stairs, I reached the upper floor.


    My room was on the other end of the mansion, while Cahan¡¯s office was on the opposite end. I


    looked at the watch and it was now well past 1 am.


    A servant came out of the office carrying empty teacups and was hurrying downstairs.


    I stopped him and asked, ¡°Is the King very busy?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°He has asked for yet another kettle filled with tea.¡±


    ¡°How many cups has he had so far?¡± I could not help but ask.


    The servant shrugged ¡°I am not sure Miss, but it seems like around thirty.¡±


    Saying so, he hurried downstairs and rushed towards the kitchen. I craned to look in the direction of


    Cahan¡¯s office and saw the lights on.


    The ss paneled walls did not give me a good look at the inside as he had also drawn some blinds.


    I could roughly see his silhouette as he seemed to be studying something with his body bent down on


    the table. His strong muscr frame easily stood out from the other men around him, his beta and


    gamma to be precise, who were also buff but Cahan looked as if he had been perfectly sculpted to


    perfection by the moon Goddess herself.


    And that perfect man had roamed his hands all over me while his mouth had devoured me.


    But then I saw another figure, that of a girl, with a slender body and long hair, leaning down on the table


    with him. From this angle and the shadows, I could only make out that the girl was standing very close


    to him.


    A re of jealousy ignited within me to think that this was the task that was keeping him busy all day. I


    felt a surge rise in me, wanting to rip whoever was beside him.


    of hatred


    Was this also a side effect of having undergone a failed transformation?

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Zenovia


    I could not make out who it was, but I saw the outlines of a curvy figure and long hair swishing as she


    moved.


    Wanting to get a better look. I slowly advanced towards his office. The lights were turned off so it


    helped me stay in the shadows.


    The blinds were partially drawn, and the lights in his office were turned to a dim light. I could hear the


    slight rustling of fabric and papers, telling me he was doing something important.


    I worried at my lower lip, thinking of what to do next.


    The office door was slightly ajar so I could hear whispers but I could not really understand who was


    talking or what they were saying.


    I looked around.


    Except for me, there was nobody else in the broad passageway. Cahan¡¯s office almost upied the


    entire floor and there was also a lift to the far right.


    I was about to crawl towards the door but then I saw the lifte up. Hastily, I hid behind a pir and


    heard the doors open.


    I craned my neck to see Matteo walk out of the lift. And he looked tense. Matteo was limping a little and


    he also was holding, his elbow with his other hand.


    I looked intently at him and noticed that his shirt was torn on the side and his hair looked matted too.


    It appeared that he had been in some fight.


    Matteo walked in my direction and I immediately tried to crouch further behind the pir, not wanting


    him to sense my


    presence.


    He knocked on the door and I heard Cahan¡¯s voice, ¡°Come in¡±


    Matteo left the door slightly open and walked in, leaving a trail of droplets of blood.


    I wanted to know what was going on so I went on all fours and took a peak inside.


    The girl was seated in the far corner on a chair while Cahan was bent on his table. When he saw


    Matteo¡¯s condition he immediately asked,


    ¡°What happened, Matt?¡±


    Matteo walked forward and went to stand in front of Cahan. The door was still open and Matteo was


    hiding my view of the Lycan King.


    So, I simply slid inside and hid behind a cupboard while all of them were busy talking to each other.


    ¡°The rogues, alpha. They just attacked a small pack while I was driving back here. I had to get


    involved.¡±


    Cahan looked at him. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Matteo shook his head. ¡°Not much. But I heard the rogues are not really happy with the way everybody


    attended the ball. I think they are afraid that the smaller packs would easily be swayed in your favor as


    it gives them a chance to find their


    mates.¡±


    Cahanughed, ¡°Well, that is what the mate ball was about, right? And it is not that you cannot find a


    mate if you don¡¯t attend one. I don¡¯t know why the rogues are fussing about it.¡±


    Matteo looked at the girl who was seated in the chair, apparently angry about something-


    ¡°Hey Cynthia¡±


    Cynthia gave him a fake smile. ¡°Hello there, Matt. You are quite strong to tackle rogues on your own.


    You don¡¯t really need to disturb the King for something so trivial.


    Matteo¡¯s face fell, so she hurriedly added, ¡°I mean, you are his beta. If there is anybody stronger after


    Cahan, it is you. Your name should be enough to instill fear in their hearts.¡±


    Matteo looked at her like a wounded and kicked puppy and replied, ¡°Thank you for believing in my


    strength. But the smaller pack had lots of kids and I did not want anyone to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± She batted her eyelids at him and gave him a smile.


    Matteo, meanwhile, turned his attention to Cahan. ¡°I take it that you are working on the treaty again?¡±


    Cahan pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°I am. I thought that since many alphas were not against the


    new changes that I -proposed, I might as well throw a few improved uses at their faces.¡±


    Cynthia hastily got up from her chair and went to stand beside Cahan, ¡°You work too hard, my King.


    You should take


    some rest.¡±


    She batted her eyshes at him fondly and even Matteo agreed. ¡°Yes King. I only came to inform you


    that our n seems to be working and stirring the minds of people. Holding the mate ball was really a


    good idea¡±


    And I was surprised to hear my name. ¡°Thank Zenovia for that. She convinced me a lot.¡±


    I felt a wave of pleasure hit me when he took my name. It sounded heavenly in his voice and had a


    nice ring to it.


    But my happiness was short lived.


    ¡°Oh, I think I saw her at the ball. She did look quite beautiful. Who is she and how did she manage to


    convince you, my King?¡± Cynthia stepped closer, cing her hand on his.


    Cahan ignored Cynthia¡¯s question and looked at Matteo. ¡°You should go rest, Matt. If you need some


    help, I can ask the doctor to drop by.¡±


    Matt shook his head, ¡°No. I am fine, King. I should take your leave now. You too go to sleep soon.¡±


    Matt left the office, leaving Cynthia and Cahan by the desk. He closed the door on his way out,


    leaving me with no way


    out.


    I was stuck inside and could only crouch behind the seats, hoping that Cynthia would convince him to


    leave as well.


    However, Cynthia seemed to have other ns in mind.


    Cahan plucked a marker from the pen stand and was about to mark something on therge open file


    when Cynthia slunk


    1. in.


    She positioned herself in between the desk and Cahan¡¯s hand as she batted her eyshes again.


    ¡°Did you not hear your beta? You have to rest, my King. You can work on the treaty tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But I need the support of your father, Cynthia. The rogues are attacking the weaker packs and your


    father has a good hold


    over them.¡±


    Cynthia nodded her head. ¡°He does, and 1 will tell him how much you are working hard. He will surely


    listen to me. Now, enough of work.¡±


    She said yfully and took the marker from his hand.


    ¡°Cynthia¡­.I have a meeting in a few days. Stop ying around.¡± But Cynthia only chuckled, ¡°There are


    many more things to y with, you know King¡±


    Saying so, she reached for his hand and kissed his knuckles.


    Cahan let out a sigh, ¡°Cynthia, I have told you I do not like such a show of affection¡±


    But she did not let him pull his hand away and slowly climbed up on the desk, pushing the file away.


    ¡°You know I like you, King. And, I also know you do not like girls who are brainless bimbos. Do I look


    like one to you?¡±


    King Cahan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    She began stroking his hand with the pad of her thumb, ¡°I have been attending trainings from not just


    my pack, but I paid a visit to most other important packs in the kingdom too. I was hoping to hear tales


    of how you took girls to your bed and left them brokenhearted¡­.¡±


    Cahan leaned closer, ¡°And?¡±


    Cynthia came closer too and their noses were almost touching, ¡°And, I know that those girls are lying.


    You never touched them. Their lies are too obvious. You do not need damsels in distress. You need


    someone who will stand beside you like an equal.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Cahan smirked. ¡°And you think you are a worthy candidate?¡±


    Cynthia flipped her hair. ¡°I am the best. Test me, if you want¡­ in any way you wish¡­¡±


    She added thest five words in a seductive voice and slowly raised her leg to ce it on the armrest


    of the chair Cahan was standing in front of


    Then she ced another leg on the other armrest and threw her head back.


    ¡°I am ready for everything¡­¡± she said, slowly falling on the table andying her head on the numerous


    files.


    Iwas feeling increasingly jealous of the girl and awkward that I would see Cahan take another girl


    right in front of my eyes. She was so confident of herself and her body. I could never imagine behaving


    like that in front of anyone, let alone the King himself.


    My heart began to thunder in my chest and I suddenly felt short of breath. I did not want to see what


    would happen next, I did not want to sit here and hear their lustful moans.


    Cahan had marked me but only because I had begged him to. I would be delusional to think he


    would ever want me when a girl like Cynthia was offering herself to him.


    And as much as I hated to be in the office and cursed myself for entering it, I also could not stop myself


    from taking a peek at what was happening a few feet away from me.


    King Cahan only looked at Cynthia lying on the table and, after a minute, leaned down. Cythia pulled


    him close by reaching for his cor and their lips almost brushed¡­or maybe I imagined.


    The small spark of jealousy had now turned into a small me that was burning me on the inside.


    Cahan¡¯s lips were close to her face, and he brought them near her ear.


    ¡°When your father manages to convince the smaller packs,e to me again.¡±


    Saying so, he stepped away from her, and Cynthia¡¯s face fell. She got up with a frown as she looked at


    him with a hurt face.


    ¡°You will regret this, my King.¡±


    He thrust his hands in his pockets and replied, ¡°I will live with that. But now, I think you should leave.¡±


    Cynthia angrily got up from the table and grabbed her purse before stomping out of the door.


    I was relieved to not have seen them eat each other¡¯s faces and looked over at the table. Cahan had


    begun reading the file again as if some girl had not just offered herself to him.


    Seeing that he was distracted, I slowly reached for the doorknob and was about to open it when I heard


    his voice.


    ¡°I did not ask to leave you yet¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Zenovia


    I froze in my tracks, my heart pounding in my chest. I had assumed Cahan hadn¡¯t noticed my


    presence, but his voice shattered that illusion. Slowly, I turned around, my eyes meeting his intense


    gaze.


    Cahan¡¯s expression was stern, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. My mind raced,


    desperately searching for something to say, a usible reason for my presence in his office. I opened


    my mouth to speak, but no words escaped.


    I gulped when I heard the voice of King Cahan. My heart began to beat so fast that it was galloping


    at the speed of a thousand horses.


    I feared it would fall out of my mouth at this rate. Slowly, very slowly, I turned around to see Cahan


    looking at me.


    He still had the marker in his hand and gave me a small smile before returning his attention to his file.


    ¡°Come here.¡± He said and went back to sit on his chair, the file in his hand.


    I gulped nervously as I slowly made my way towards him. I reluctantly approached Cahan¡¯s desk, my


    eyes darting nervously around the room.


    As I reached his side, he motioned for me to take a seat in the chair opposite him.


    He pushed the chair in my direction without looking up and highlighted something with his marker.


    ¡°Are you going to speak at all?¡± He asked without looking at me. I sank into the plush chair and hoped


    that it would just swallow me whole.


    ¡°I¡­I am sorry¡­¡± I muttered weakly. He flipped the page, took a pen, and scribbled something on the


    paper.


    Cahan did not say anything and kept reading intently for the next five minutes that felt like an eternity


    to me.


    There were a few files scattered along the table and a huge map of the kingdom strewn across the


    length of the desk.


    There were a few stains of teacups, showing that he had been really working hard on it, and a few pins


    that marked certain important spots.


    ¡°Do you not know that it is a bad habit to eavesdrop on someone?¡± Cahan asked as he pulled the


    cap off a pen with his mouth and threw it on the table as he took another pen to write something.


    I thought of what to answer and could note up with an answer. Luckily, I was spared of answering


    him when there was a knock on the door.


    The servant I had met on my way to Cahan¡¯s office had returned with another round of tea.


    ¡°Yeah,e in,¡± Cahan muttered as he began pacing through the room while reading the file.


    He flipped a few more pages and was done with the file as he tossed it on the table and picked another


    one.


    The file hadnded on the edge of the table and it was going to fall down, so I stopped its fall. A few


    loose pages came out of the file, which I began picking up.


    As I collected all the papers and put them in a stack, Cahan¡¯s voice reached me.


    But it was not directed at me. ¡°Zenovia will prepare the tea. You can leave.¡±


    He said to the servant who had just poured ck tea into the cup and reached for the sugar. He did not


    say that to me, felt like it was an order directed at me, nheless.


    Cahan was very absorbed in work and it did not look likest night had affected him in any way.


    but I


    I had already been stupidly fantasizing about him, but he had been working all day and was still reading


    the files instead of lunging at me the second I showed up.


    At least, that was what I secretly hoped he would do upon seeing me again. Either that, or just leave


    the room if he did not want me around.


    Surprisingly, he did neither, and that was confusing me.


    The servant bowed and promptly left, d to not be around the Lycan King anymore.


    I gulped nervously and walked towards the tray. cing the papers I had collected on the table, I


    asked,


    ¡°Sugar?¡±


    ¡°One.¡± He curtly answered, and I put one cube of sugar.


    ¡°Milk?¡±


    I asked, and he only grunted again. I took the cue and poured the milk while reaching for a spoon to


    mix it all.


    11.01


    The soft clinks of the spoon against the ceramic cup were the only noise in the big office. I would have


    argued with him that I am not his maid to serve him tea/coffee, but he had found me eavesdropping on


    him so I could not yell at him at the


    moment.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Plus, he had marked me. So technically, I was supposed to obey him because his mark meant I was


    under his protection. I meekly handed him the cup, which he took from me without even looking at me,


    leaving the saucer in my hand. Cahan took a sip, and I watched his face for a change in expression,


    but there wasn¡¯t any. He only ced the saucer again, but I had been looking elsewhere, so the cup


    slipped.


    Hot tea fell on the table, spilling it all over the files he had been religiously studying.


    ¡°What the-¡± He cursed as I let out a startled cry and hastily pulled some tissues to dab it off the pages.


    cup on the


    However, most of them had stained and the marker ink was spreading through the white pages, making


    them look very weird.


    ¡°Wait¡± Cahan ordered, but I was busy tidying the desk and I felt scared of his anger at my


    clumsiness.


    I mumbled, ¡°L.I am sorry, I did not mean to¡­¡±


    But he only grabbed my wrist and held it in front of me. My hair was askew as 1 tried to grab the


    papers, but Cahan¡¯s grip


    on me was firm.


    ¡°I said stop moving


    I stilled when my gaze met his and I quickly looked down, not wanting to see the rage directed at me.


    ¡°I am sorry, I didn¡¯t do it purposely¡­¡± I cried, but he simply plucked me away from the table and pushed


    me on a chair a bit farther away.


    I was too startled at the way he had grabbed me and then ced me on the chair and my body had not


    even gotten time to react to his touch before he had dropped me again, letting go of me.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± Cahan ordered, and 1 gulped nervously. When he saw that I was not moving, he went to


    the cupboard and rummaged through it to bring out a stic box.


    ¡°Never knew I would need this,¡± He mumbled to himself before taking off the lid. I peered intently and


    realized it was a first¨Caid box.


    Was he going to disinfect the papers??


    I stared in bewilderment as he ced the box beside me and squatted down. Without saying a word,


    he took my hand in his and pulled out some cotton.


    I wondered what he was doing before he wiped away some of the dried bits off my hand and I saw


    redness spreading through my arm.


    It was only now that I realized that I had spilled most of the tea in my hands. He wiped it off and then


    grabbed an ointment from the box and began applying it on my reddened skin.


    His head was bent low, and his hair fell on his face, covering it partially. He was being so tender; it was


    heartwarming to watch that.


    His touch was doing things to me, and he was not even the least bothered. How could this man stay so


    calm andposed?


    Had I just be another ything for him afterst night?


    Somehow, I felt a lump rise in my throat, but I quickly swallowed it. The silence was too much to bear


    and seeing him not yell at me made me feel as if he was simply holding it back in.


    I just wanted him to shout at me and be done with it so I don¡¯t live in this dread forever.


    My gaze flicked to the papers that were lying all over the ce, the ink of the marker and pens


    spreading through even more papers, making it look like a big mess.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I muttered softly.


    Cahan applied a generous amount of the ointment on my arms and I tried not to gasp when his


    hands softly caressed me, his fingers trailing down my skin.


    His hand was twice the size of mine, and he could squash it in an instant if he wanted to. After he was


    done, he got up from the floor and went back to his table.


    I sat there, holding my burned hand with another as he began salvaging the documents.


    ¡°You did not answer me.¡± He said, while gathering the documents.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Why did you sneak into my office?¡± He asked as he looked at the papers onest time and simply


    began tearing them into


    Chapter 39 pieces.


    My eyes went wide as he began tearing them and putting them in a shredder.


    ¡°Luh¡­I wanted to tell you to not drink so much of caffeine,¡± 1 answered meekly.


    He raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°Definitely not the answer I was expecting.¡± He mumbled to himself and


    picked another bunch and put them in the shredder.


    He seemed angry about something. Maybe I should thank him for his help yesterday and leave.


    Though calling his act of sucking me dry was definitely not ¡®help¡®


    ¡°LI


    am sorry for..¡±


    ¡°Stop apologizing!¡± He said sternly and the rest of the words dried in my throat.


    ¡°Make me another cup.¡± He said while clearing the mess. Maybe he did not want to talk aboutst night


    at all as it was a terrible memory for him, but was fine with anything else.


    I scooted further and walked towards the table. ¡°How many cups have you had?¡±


    Cahan thought about it for a while. ¡°Ten or maybe twenty, not sure¡±


    ¡°Counting the one I made¡­it is definitely in the range of forty¡±


    His


    eyes went wide. ¡°You have been counting the cups?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°The servant gave me a rough estimate.¡±


    Cahan nodded as he put thest set of documents in the shredder, ¡°I am sorry¡±


    I added guiltily, as he put thest set of papers inside.


    ¡°I heard you the first time. And I have all of that data in here,¡± Cahan said, tapping his temple.


    ¡°So, for the love of your moon Goddess, stop it. Besides, if I ever need it in print, I have the soft copies


    on myputer.¡±


    He added, and I rxed. ¡°That is great, I guess¡±


    Cahan nodded and went back to take the first aid box and keep it back in the cupboard.


    And then I blurted something that made me wish the earth would swallow me whole.


    ¡°What qualities do you want in a mate?¡±

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Zenovia


    Stupid. I was stupid.


    Why had I asked him that? Cahan¡¯s lips turned into a smirk as he looked at me, his face shining with


    amusement. ¡°I mean..since we just had the ball and everything. I added and realized that it made me


    sound even more stupid. Cahan¡¯s smirk widened into a grin as he kept looking at me, hoping I would


    bber some more.


    Thankfully, I realized I was digging my own grave and decided to shut my mouth. Cahan was still


    close to me and I tried to look away from his mesmerizing face, but his eyes held me in a sort of trance,


    not allowing me to look elsewhere.


    ¡°Ah, the mate ball¡­¡±


    He mused and then inched away, giving me room to breathe. My chest was heaving, but I forced


    myself to focus on the words and not the way his voice sounded.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured you met a lot of potential candidates¡­¡±


    I pretended to sound as if I was all neutral, but deep down I wanted to know what kind of girl did he


    really like.


    In the two weeks or months that I had been here, I had only seen him focus on work and ignore


    everything else.


    That man was literally sculpted to perfection by the Moon Goddess, yet he could not have a mate. That


    meant every girl saw it as an opportunity to throw herself at him and hope that he chose her.


    And despite the ball yesterday, I did not hear any kind of announcement or servants whispering among


    themselves that he had picked someone.


    My chances were not even in the minus, so I wanted my stupid mind to really hear his words and


    understand he was off limits.


    Cahan scratched his chin and replied, ¡°Hmm, I never gave it much of a thought. But, since you are


    such an expert at reading people, maybe you can answer on my behalf.¡±


    He spoke in a leisurely voice, his finger trailing the edge of the chair he usually sat on.


    ¡°Uh, well, since you are the King, you would obviously want a girl who is fit to be a Queen.¡±


    He folded his hands on the chair¡¯s edge and propped his head on it, his chin resting on his folded


    hands as he seemed to listen to me intently.


    The way he looked at me made him look so dreamy and cute.


    I shook my head and reached for a pen to give my hands to do something.


    ¡°Go on.¡± He urged me and I yed with the pen, trying to hide my nervousness as I continued,


    ¡°So, you obviously need the girl to be drop dead gorgeous but also someone who is empathetic,


    lovable, and makes the subjects feel as if they are cared for.¡±


    ¡°Empathetic and lovable?¡± Cahan asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°I am not known to be either of


    those, so I don¡¯t think anybody expects me to choose such a girl¡±


    I picked a pen to give my fingers something to do and tapped it against my chin a few times. ¡°Isn¡¯t that


    all the more reason to find such a girl? She will bnce your ws and enhance your good traits.


    Together, you guys will be a force to reckon with.¡±


    I finished, wanting to not think about it anymore.


    ¡°Hmm¡­I have not really met such a girl in my life so far. Have you met someone like that?¡±


    He asked, and 1 shuffled in my seat. Was the Lycan king really asking for my opinion about the girl he


    needed to choose as a


    mate?


    I buried the small spark of jealousy shooting up my heart and quashed it mercilessly.


    ¡°Eh, Drusi? She is charming and sweet. Plus, you have known her for a long time.¡±


    I asked, partly because I wanted to know if they ever were more than friends and if Cahan had any


    interest in her, which was weird because I should be hating this guy.


    ¡°Dru? You have to be kidding me.¡±


    He chuckled and the way he replied was a small indicator that my assumptions were baseless. But I


    still did not know if they had a thing going on or not.


    ¡°Yes, she is gorgeous and nice to everybody.¡±


    Cahan nodded, ¡°That she is. But, Dru is my best friend. I¡­I don¡¯t think she ever felt that way for me,


    either.¡±


    He shrugged, smiling whimsically at that idea.


    Though, how about this? You have given me a nice idea.¡± Cahan said, straightening his back and


    slipping his hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°You met them all at the ball, right? So, you can tell me which one of them fits the bill?¡±


    Cahan proposed, and I felt increasingly ufortable. He wanted me to find girls for him? What was


    P? A matchmaker?


    ¡°¡­I am not sure,¡± I said, and he asked, ¡°What do you think about Cynthia?¡±


    A re of jealousy shot up inside me at that thought. I had just seen her offer herself to me and worried


    if he would im her the way he had imed me.


    There was no hint of awkwardness in his voice or behavior. It was as if the night had never happened.


    I decided to follow suit and behave the same way.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°She¡­she is an alpha¡¯s daughter, so has alpha blood and has loyal followers already¡±


    I mumbled, recalling the way her friends had ganged up against me.


    ¡°Hmm, and?¡± He probed, and I got irritated by the fact that he was asking me about his future bride so


    casually.


    Instead of answering his question, I blurted out another one.


    ¡°Why are you asking me this? I am not your friend, your pack member¡­¡±


    Cahan raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°Do I need to remind you that you are mine now?¡±


    He asked, and the sudden change in his voice made my heart skip a beat.


    He had marked me so technically I was his property and his pack member. I looked down when I could


    not bear to look into his eyes and hide the heat rising up my cheeks.


    Cahan drummed his fingers on the chair and thought about it some more. ¡°Well, I can also remind


    you of the simple facts. if you do not want to make that public right away.¡±


    Make public? That I had let him touch me and fuck me with his mouth? How insensitive of him.


    I squinted my eyebrows at that and he added, ¡°I mean, your family did offer to me as a gift. You can tell


    everybody that you are my breeder.¡±


    My mouth fell open at that. ¡°I am NOT y


    your


    breeder.¡±


    His eyes darkened at that, and I realized I had shouted at him. So, I spoke a bit softly this time.


    ¡°I mean, I am not sure what I am to you.¡±


    Cahan answered honestly. ¡°For now, you should know that you belong to me. And if you are so afraid


    of letting others. know that you failed to transform in your first shift, I got you covered. Except El, Matt,


    and Dru, not many know of what happened in the forest.¡±


    My eyes went wide at that. He had realized I was ashamed of my iplete shift and had ordered his


    loyal warriors to keep it a secret already.


    The question must be apparent in my expression, because he nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, you are not


    really good at hiding your true emotions. Plus, we were a bit away from the others and in the forest. El


    and Matt were the first ones toe over.¡±


    I recalled the way he had torn my clothes and put his coat over me.


    ¡°Then¡­.then what do the others think? I am sure, they¡­they saw you taking me inside.¡±


    Cahan was really enjoying this. That yful smile was back again on his face.


    ¡°They did¡­.and you were only wearing my coat. Pretty easy to guess what must have happened for


    them.¡±


    I gulped nervously again.


    ¡°B¨CBut¡­nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°That night, yes¡­.nothing happened.¡±


    He said, and the way he said it told me he was definitely referring tost night.


    This was getting awkward. I was suddenly aware of being alone with him in the office and the way his


    body had felt on mine.


    I had to remind myself my life was not a fairytale and get out of the office before I stupidly asked him to


    touch me again.


    I did not want to look like a wanton.


    Then, after I sat in silence, he proimed, ¡°Breeder it is. That will hide your identity from the others.


    Nobody would ask who your family is or what pack you lived in before.¡±


    I could not think of anything else to do that. He was not my mate. fated or chosen, and he had done me


    a favor by marking


    1. me.


    He was not some alpha but the King of all the werewolves, so getting marked by him was a big thing.


    I let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Okay,¡± I said in a small voice, and he seemed pleased with the idea.


    ¡°That will be enough of a reason to not kill you, right?¡± Cahan smirked, and I wanted to throw the


    paperweight on his face to wipe that smirk off.


    1 let out a breath and got up from the chair. ¡°I hope so¡±


    I said and stepped out of the office before he could ramble on and on about his chosen mate.


    I had barely stepped out of the room when I heard his voice. ¡°Zenovia?¡±


    I peeked through the open door at him. ¡°Yes?¡±


    And added after a split second, ¡°¡­ your majesty¡±


    Cahan replied, ¡°You owe me a cup of coffee for spoiling my desk and papers.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I will bring it to you first thing tomorrow, your highness. You have had enough for a day.¡±


    There was a cheeky grin stered on my face when I walked away. He had definitely not asked me for


    a date, but why did it sound like one?

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    The day after my meeting with Cahan, or rather the night after, I decided to focus on awakening my


    wolf.


    My first transformation had been a disaster, my emotions had gotten the better of me, and King


    Cahan had sated my heat.


    But I did not want a repeat of that incident. I had been seen as weak and worthless all my life and now


    that my wolf had finally shown up. I did not want to miss this chance.


    I wanted to change my destiny and be a strong she wolf. Maybe I could be a low level


    member of Cahan¡¯s pack and serve him until one day I find my mate.


    The idea of having a mate enthralled me. My mother had been so much in love with my father that I


    had grown up watching her shower him with love and affection. He had meant the world to me.


    Though then his fated mate showed up and he easily discarded my mother, the woman he had lived


    with for so many years.


    I did not want the same thing to happen to me. At most, I could admire the King from a distance. But


    the day his curse was lifted and he found his mate, he would forget the girls throwing themselves at


    him.


    My father had been a prime example of that. My mother had devoted her life to him but my father had


    gotten rid of her in an instant.


    And, some part of me was still not over the fact that he had not even thought of me once before selling


    me off to some unknown man.


    I could not live with the heartbreak like my mom did. At least, my mother had me to love but I would not


    have anybody to


    live for.


    So, I had to grow strong.


    Shaking my head, I got up from the bed and wore a sports bra, a loose tee, and stretchable pants.


    I figured I should start working out so that my body healed quickly and the next time, I would be better


    prepared for the


    shift.


    Thus, I tied my shoces, grabbed a bottle, and decided to step outside the mansion. There was a big


    gym on Cahan¡¯s side of the wing, but I was not sure if anybody else was allowed to use it.


    So, I headed outside the mansion, but instead of the huge front yard. I decided to run through the


    backyard.


    I would ask Cahan¡­no I would ask Matteo or maybe Elijah to train me a bit. If they would give me a


    few basic workout tips, I would work on my strength and physique.


    That was a nice goal to achieve. After all, I wanted to meet my wolf as soon as possible and I knew she


    was somewhere in there.


    Thus, I began jogging through the perimeter, which was very huge. Our training grounds back in the


    pack were rtively smaller and it would take me only half the time toplete one round.


    Here I was running for twenty minutes and I had only managed to do half ap. But I took that as a


    challenge and did one more before I began to sweat.


    I took a moment to calm my nerves and take a breath. I had to work out a lot if I got tired so easily.


    I looked around and saw that there was a tap nearby so I opened it and sprinkled some water on my


    face to cool down.


    The first rays of sun were beginning to peak through the clouds and I figured I had a lot more time


    before my legs would give up.


    I was just abour to start anotherp when I heard a voice from behind me.


    ¡°Hello, miss hard worker. Looks like you are on a mission to not rest at all¡±


    I turned to look at Elijah smiling at me.


    ¡°Good morning. Elijah,¡± I greeted him, but he only looked at me with a smile and tapped on his watch a


    secondter. ¡°It is still a few minutes to morning, mydy¡± He gave me a small bow, and I chuckled at


    the way he addressed me. ¡°Really? 1 did not even notice,¡± 1 said, and Elijah folded his hands behind


    his back.


    ¡°I mean I tried to sleep but could not so I figured that I should tire myself a little,¡± I half¨Clied.


    1 kind of noticed that. Hence, I am here to help.¡±


    He gave me a warm smile, and I noticed he was also wearing training clothes.


    ¡°Are you about to train?¡± I asked and Elijah answered, ¡°Yeah, I always train early morning along with


    Matteo and sometimes


    12:191


    Cahan joins too. I have to ensure the entire pack does not growzy and sleep all day.¡±


    ¡°Great. Then perhaps can I join your sessions? I promise I will not disturb you.¡± I pleaded, and he let


    out a softugh.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. You are a pack member now.¡± He said, and I dropped dead in my


    Had Cahan told him that he had marked me?


    tracks.


    My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked at me. ¡°What? He told me how your parents offered


    you to him as a gift. You are one of us now, technically¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Elijah bent down to tie his shoces and looked up at me.


    ¡°Ready to race?¡±


    I grinned, and we two set off. And it was aplete disaster.


    He was so fast that he turned into a blur while I wheezed and panted toplete thep.


    He was waiting at the finishing point, grinning at me as I ced my hands on my hips with a frown.


    ¡°This is so not fair.¡±


    Elijah shrugged, ¡°Why not? We decided to race, and I won.¡±


    I pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t use your wolf. Just run like a normal human being.¡±


    Elijah took an objection to that. ¡°Hey, I did not use my wolf, okay? I was just using my physical


    strength.¡±


    My eyes went wide at that.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    He raised his hands in mock surrender. ¡°Obviously. If you want, we can race again and I will let you get


    a head start.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Then that will not be a race. I will be getting an advantage.¡±


    Elijah chuckled at that. ¡°As much as I like your attitude, I would still beat you even if you were halfway


    through thep


    I threw him a hurt look, and he added softly. ¡°That is because I have days and months of training and


    exercise to back me up. My body is used to physical strain.¡±


    My shoulders sagged, and I wiped the sweat off my forehead.


    ¡°If only I would have been allowed to train with the others¡­.¡± I mumbled to myself, but Elijah heard the


    words.


    ¡°What do you mean? Did Cal ask you to train alone?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing actually.¡±


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Elijah came to stand in front of me and insisted, ¡°No, please. Tell me what it is, Zen.¡±


    ¡°No, not the King. I¡­I was just talking about my pack. I was not allowed to train because I was an


    omega¡±


    Elijah had a worried look on his face, and he stepped forward. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to even remember


    them, fonestly, they are not worth your time or attention.¡±


    He spoke softly as he slowly ced his hands on my shoulders. ¡°I¡­I still miss my father.¡±


    I replied and tried hard to not let the tears slip. His hands slowly cupped my face as he forced me to


    look up at him.


    ¡°It is okay. You loved your father and there is nothing wrong with it. But now you are here, a part of our


    pack. And t


    I every pack member is respected here.¡±


    Elijah was being so sweet to me and he had this warmth around him, a sweet smile, and a pleasant


    personality.


    He was so gerule and caring that he could make anybody smile and forget their worries.


    And now, as he stood so close to me, I could see his warm brown eyes, his hair that fluttered lightly in


    the wind, and the soft crinkles on his forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh on yourself, Zen¡± He said and lowered his forehead to softly touch mine. It felt so


    nice to be with him. He was so understanding andpassionate, unlike Sid and his friends, who


    would always try to hurt me.


    Our faces were barely inches away, and I saw the way he was looking at me. My heart warmed to see


    someone care about me, and have some empathy when my own pack had shunned me.


    Not to mention the King who was broody, arrogant, and mysterious. I sternly reminded myself not to


    think about the King and forget that one particr incident, that one night we had spent together.


    He was very casual about it and did not show it affected him. On the contrary, he had given me an


    amused smile, and I did not want to further degrade myself into bing an object of his satisfaction.


    King Cahan could call me a breeder or whatever he wanted to tell the world. I was simply going to


    train, be strong, and learn to live on my ownL

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    ¡°Hey! I am right here!¡± A hand waved in front of my eyes and I looked up to see Elijah looking at me in


    confusion.


    ¡°Where did you transport yourself to? Some dreand?¡± He asked and I buried the memory of my first


    kiss with Cahan.


    ¡°Nothing. I was just wondering how to defeat you in theps.¡± I answered and he ced his hands on


    his hips.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, I see. The little wolf is preparing herself to fight.¡±


    He wiggled his eyebrows yfully and I gave him an amused smile.


    ¡°Go, get your headstart. Stand at whatever point you wish to start running from, I will still defeat you.


    I liked the yful challenge and stood a few feet ahead of him. Elijah had his hands folded upon his


    chest,


    ¡°Are you sure that is enough? Come on, go ahead a bit more. I don¡¯t want you to cry again.¡±


    I did a fake pout, ¡°I did not cry okay? I y fair¡±


    He mimicked my voice, ¡°I y fair, ooh, El is the bad guy¡±


    I chuckled at that and took the position as he announced, ¡°On your mark, get set, go!!¡±


    1 shot forward with as much speed as possible and began to run as if my life depended on it. I looked


    back and Elijah still had not started running.


    I shouted, ¡°You are going to lose!!¡±


    ¡°He mocked me, ¡°Ha! We will see!¡±


    I kept running as fast as my legs could carry me. The sun had already risen and the darkness had been


    reced by the first rays of sunlight.


    I almost covered half the distance of thep when Elijah finally started to run. Upon seeing him run, I


    increased my pace, my lungs burning and my legs aching in pain as I kept pushing them.


    But despite that, he was beginning to close on me. I was wheezing and panting but I kept pushing


    myself, kept running and I finished just a second before his foot touched the line we had drawnL


    I could not stand anymore and copsed on the ground as I coughed and wheezed. Even Elijah fell on


    the ground beside me and soon we both wereughing.


    My entire body was covered in a faint sheen of sweat, my chest felt like burning and I also feared all


    the air in the world would not be enough to fill my lungs.


    But despite that, I felt great. Running had been exhrating andughing and joking around with Elijah,


    even more so


    I was really beginni


    to like hispany.


    ¡°Wow that was close¡± He spoke while lying on the ground beside me.


    My breath was still ragged and it took me a few


    he ced his head on his arm and asked,


    to return my breathing to normal. Propping his hand on his elbow,


    ¡°So you won. What do you want as a prize?¡± He asked and Iughed while pushing a few strands of


    hair away from my face.


    ¡°What? I can get a prize??¡± I asked in a disbelieving voice and he nodded his head. ¡°Yes, it is not every


    day that mighty gamma of the lycan King¡¯s pack.¡±


    you


    defeat the


    I chuckled and thought about it. I had not really eaten muchst night and all the running was making


    me feel ravenous.


    ¡°How about we go inside and ask Maria to cook some breakfast for us?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, food. I never say no to good food.¡± He said and then sat up on the ground. I was still lying on the


    ground, my feet aching a little which he noticed.


    ¡°You trained after a gap. Maybe, I could help loosen those muscles a little.¡±


    My feet were aching but I did not want him to feel I was taking advantage of his politeness.


    ¡°No really, it is okay,¡± I said and tried getting up but winced when I put some weight on the left foot.


    Before I could protest, Elijah had already taken my foot and ced it on hisp.


    ¡°These muscles need some rxing. I know how to do that¡±


    ¡°Elijah, please don¡¯t bother..¡± I began but he dismissed my concern. ¡°Look at those legs. They are


    pumped. Let the massa for a while and you will instantly feel better.¡±


    19:19


    Saying so, he began kneading through my calf and I instantly felt better. My legs felt sore and stiff after


    I pushed my body to the limits and Elijah¡¯s massage was really helping me a lot.


    The pain immediately lessened and I felt a bit of strength return in my legs. His touch was soft and


    warm and it did not send any tingles up my spine like Cahan¡¯s had.


    I had never been so close to any man before and now that I was around the second one in a time span


    of only two to three days, I began to notice things.


    Elijah was really very sweet, funny, and helpful but he did not set my skin on fire with his touch nor did


    being so close to me make my heart race.


    Then why did my body have theplete opposite reaction when I was around the lycan King?


    I had no idea and for now, I onlyy on the ground, letting him massage my legs and waist a little.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± He asked and I nodded as he helped me get up again. About your next request, let


    me return in some time.


    ¡°Huh? What request?¡±


    ¡°I think I know why you are pushing yourself. I know how taxing it is on newly awakened wolves to get


    adjusted to the changes in their body.¡±


    I gave him a nervous smile,¡±


    But then the little wolf also needs to ensure she eats and does not faint.¡±


    It was a maid who had a tray in her hand. There was a cloche hiding the te and the contents


    beneath it.


    ¡°May I present to you, the world famous chef¡¯s signature dish.¡± He lifted the cloche dramatically and


    beneath it I saw a few sandwiches.


    My stomach grumbled at the sight of food and I immediately grabbed it, making me reach for it with


    both hands and gobble it like a gori.


    ¡°Umm¡± I made odd noises while eating the food and Elijah smiled proudly at me.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He asked and I nodded, ¡°Of course, it tastes delicious.


    Elijah¡¯s chest puffed a little, ¡°I knew it. After all, I am an expert cook.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°World ss chef¡± while raising the sandwich in one hand. This was the best morning I had in


    the recent weeks. and all of it was because of Elijah.


    The food prepared by even someone like Elijah, who was a warrior through and through, tasted


    heavenly.


    Or maybe, I had only eaten nd and tasteless food all my life.


    I looked down and pinched at my stomach, ¡°AT this rate, you are going to make me fat¡±


    ¡°Well


    you are a bit too skinny, you know. Eating a bit will do you good.¡±


    Elijah said with a shy smile and he looked extremely cute when he did that. ¡°If I eat so much, at this


    rate, I am not going to leave any food for you guys.¡±


    Elijah waved his hand off. ¡°Ohe on, we are warriors. We train and eat much more than what you


    will finish in a week.¡±


    I giggled and finished thest bit of tacos and wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand..


    ¡°Thank you, Elijali¡± I mumbled and he bowed again, ¡°Just thought of trying something new and could


    not find someone to experiment on.¡±


    I nodded my head and was about to grab the notepad I had thrown to the ground when he said,


    ¡°Wait¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Elijah pointed at my lips, ¡°You have some sauce¡­there¡±


    I wiped my lips with my hand and asked, ¡°Is it gone now?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°No, it is still there. A little bit to the left.¡± he reached for his lips and showed me the


    spot on his face.


    I mirrored him and wiped my hands on my lips, ¡°Now?¡±


    He shook his head and walked towards me, ¡°May I?¡±


    Thodded and he stood directly in front of me. Slowly, he reached for my face and cupped it. I tried not


    to blush as hisrge hands stroked my face and the pad of his thumb brushed upon my lips.


    Though his touch did not invoke a spark like Cahan¡¯s the way he was acting made me feel nervous.


    It was a cute gesture and he was only offering me help but it felt so intimate. His soft brown eyes


    looked at me and I stared back at him.


    Elijah was very sweet, polite, and down to earth. He did not shout at me, growl, or grumble. He was


    always happy and his. smile was infectious.


    ¡°You¡­you are beautiful, Zen¡± He whispered and I tried not to blush again.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Zenovia


    He spoke softly, and I tried not to shiver. Elijah was a different kind of handsome. While Cahan was


    all rugged, muscr, and brawny. Elijah gave me the boy next door vibe.


    He always made an effort to talk to me, to make me feelfortable, and made meugh. I felt I had


    found a new friend in him. That was a nice start, considering the change of my ns.


    Now, I was more keen on finding my wolf and learning how topletely transform without passing


    out.


    Elijah wiped the sauce off my lips but he did not let go of me. His hand kept caressing my face, and I


    tried hard not to blush.


    My eyelids fluttered as the pad of his thumb kept brushing over my skin, making me feel a slight tingle.


    ¡°You¡­.you are handsome too, Elijah,¡± I said, and he came closer to me, standing directly in front of


    me.


    ¡°I have been told so.¡± He said with a grin, making me chuckle again. I could not remember thest time


    I had felt so happy and stress free.


    Elijah and Drusi were very nice to me and so were the other maids and servants. I could not form


    any opinion about Matteo because he was mostly busy with work.


    And then there was the Lycan King who felt like a mysterious puzzle to me.


    ¡°Hey, where are you lost?¡± Elijah whispered, and I shook my head.


    ¡°Nothing¡±


    I smiled and was about to say something when a sharp voice reached my ears.


    ¡°Elijah!!¡±


    I looked behind Elijah to see none other than King Cahan walking towards us. Elijah sprang away


    from me as if we had been caught doing something scandalous, and I stepped away from him, too.


    Cahan was walking towards us with fast strides, and he was exuding both power and annoyance.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°ood morning, King¡± Elijah bowed to him while I kept staring stupidly at him.


    King Cahan did not pay me attention, as his eyes were fixed on his garma. Realizing that I should


    greet him too, I promptly lowered my head and muttered,


    ¡°Good morning, King¡±


    But Cahan did not reply to me. Forget replying, he did not even look at me.


    He was ring at his gamma and had his hands thrust in his pockets. Something was off.


    ¡°Is¡­is something wrong. King?¡± Elijah asked, but King Cahan pulled his hands out of his pockets


    and looked at the wristwatch dangling from his wrist.


    When he came and stood in front of Elijah, he asked, ¡°What is the time now, Gamma


    His voice wasced with authority and Elijah hastily checked his watch. ¡°It is close to 9 a.m., King.¡±


    Cahan kept ring at him and asked in the same authoritative tone, ¡°And what time were you


    supposed toe meet me?¡±


    Elijah gulped nervously, ¡°I dide to check twice, but you were busy working. I also camest night,


    but I saw you with Cynthia and I did not want to disturb you so¡­¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Cahan growled while my ears pricked at the mention of Cynthia.


    That girl had been in his office alone again, it seemed. Why did Cahan even entertain her so much?


    Had she tried to seduce him again? She had mentioned how she was going to marry him soon and


    then throw me out of the


    mansion.


    I had to gain my strength and leave this ce before that happened.


    Elijah fell silent and only mumbled, ¡°I am sorry, King¡±


    1 felt sorry for Elijah. He had not done a crime if Cahan was the one busy with some work or


    probably Cynthia.


    Itried to ignore thetter part and kept looking at him, but Cahan behaved as if I was not even


    around. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and asked his gamma.


    ¡°You were supposed toe meet me at 8 a.m. Why is it that I have to go looking for you and then find


    you chitchatting with my breeder.¡±


    12:19


    I raised my eyebrows at that.


    Had he just called me his with a touch of authority? But then why was he not even looking at me?


    His behavior was confusing at best.


    ¡°Y¨Cyour breeder? I¡­I thought she was going to be your anchor¡­¡± Elijah began, but Cahan raised


    his hand, cutting him abruptly.


    ¡°Enough. Stop wasting your time and focus on your work if you don¡¯t want to be sent on a month long


    trip out of the kingdom.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s body posture was tense, and his shoulders were rigid. A muscle in his jaw twitched at


    Elijah¡¯s words and he dragged him a few feet away from me.


    Despite being just the start of the day. Cahan was ready in his work clothes, and I also saw a stain of


    ink on his hand.


    Had he already started working at the crack of dawn?


    Meanwhile, I stood there wondering what the hell Elijah was bbering about. What was an anchor


    and why was I being considered that?


    I recalled the cryptic way Drusi had said that Cahan was dying and how I was the one who could


    save him.


    Was this anchor stuff rted to that? I wished to ask them more, but Cahan had dragged him away


    from me.


    I looked around and found myself to be alone. Apparently, the few servants who were bustling around


    to start their day had run away when Cahan came walking towards us angrily.


    I wished to talk to him about this but he stalked away from the openwns with Elijah in tow, leaving me


    staring at his retreating figure until he disappeared behind the walls of the mansion.


    What the hell was this behavior? I could not make sense of it and it irritated me.


    If he did not want me around, he could simply ask me to leave. Not knowing what to do, I left the open


    grounds and decided to take a shower to cool down as well.


    My muscles were burning after the running, but I felt refreshed, nheless. I decided to slowly add a


    few more steps to my traning regime and maybe do strength training so that I would be able to


    complete my shifting better next time.


    After changing into fresh clothes, I stepped outside the room and wondered what to do for the rest of


    the day.


    Maria saw me standing on the stairs and waved at me toe downstairs.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Come on, eat something¡±


    I smiled at her and replied, ¡°Are you on a mission to make everybody cat as much as they can?¡±


    Maria gasped and pretended to be shocked. ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    I giggled and sat on the chair as she brought some hot food for me to have. The aroma wafting through


    the air made me feel hungry, and I gobbled up everything that she served me.


    My eyes kept drifting to the other side of the mansion, Cahan¡¯s office, to be specific. The two seemed


    to be still in some meeting, but I did not want to go to his office again after thest incident.


    Thus, I finished my food and got up from the table. And at the same moment, I saw Elijah walk out of


    the office.


    I waited for him as he began climbing down the stairs, a worried look on his face. His shoulders were a


    little slumped, and he did not have his usual smile.


    When he reached downstairs, he gave me a small smile, but itcked his usual energy.


    ¡°Hey is everything alright?¡±


    I asked and Elijah nodded his head, ¡°Yeah¡±


    I went closer to him and asked, ¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t look okay to me.¡±


    Elijah said in a low voice, ¡°Well, Cal was not happy that I made him wait for two hours. He had been


    waiting for an important piece of information from me and I was goofing around with you.¡±


    1 furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°That is so wrong. You were trying to help me and you did say that you went


    to his office twice.¡± But Elijah shrugged it off. ¡°He is punctual and does not liketers. I will be


    careful next time.¡±


    frowned.


    Poor Elijah¡¯s face looked so sad because Cahan had shouted at him for nothing. He was reminding


    me of Luna Celeste back home, who used to shout at me for little things.


    ¡°You should really stand up for yourself, you know. Just because he is the King does not mean he can


    treat you like this


    I said, and Elijah quickly looked around. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. He just seemed a little off about


    something. Maybe all this. work is stressing him. He really needs to get a life.¡±


    I chuckled at that. I could not imagine Cahan doing anything except digging his head in the files and


    sitting in his office.


    And my body reminded me of how his head, or rather his face had been buried elsewhere, in between


    my legs, making me shudder.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    ¡°If you want I can clear the misunderstanding King Cahan has about you. It was I who kept you busy


    with my silly stuff.¡±


    I spoke but Elijah shook his head.


    ¡°There is no need for that, really. It is okay. I know Cal thinks good about me so he has the right to be


    angry with me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked and Elijah nodded, ¡°Yeah, you are getting too worked up.¡±


    I did not want to talk further about him so I only replied, ¡°About my failed transformation, can you help


    me a bit?¡±


    I asked in a sincere voice and Elijah¡¯s face immediately brightened.


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    I bit my lip nervously, ¡°Uh, the way we raced together today. I feel if somebody would guide me to train


    and to strengthen my body, I will be better at handling the next shifting.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, so that is why you were running around in the dark of the night?¡± He asked and I did a fake


    grumble.


    ¡°Hey, I did not run in the middle of the night, okay? I was just unsure of what to do next.¡± I replied and


    he chuckled.


    ¡°Yes. I will definitely help you with your training. Our pack has many pups who have recently shifted.


    Your shifting was quite unexpected, to be honest.¡±


    I nervously chewed on my lip. ¡°Yes, I am also not sure how that happened. But I want to be prepared


    for the next full moon. So, I have one month to train myself.¡±


    Elijah ced a hand on my shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on yourself. There is a full moon every


    month.¡±


    He tried to cheer me up but then I muttered under my breath, ¡°The sooner I learn how to be a wolf, the


    better, I do not want to get yelled at for nothing¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, I know him. He is a nice guy.¡±


    I snorted, ¡°Nice, really?¡±


    Elijah replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? He gave you a separate room, and asked the best doctors to care


    for you. Even helped you when you were alone in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Only because he needs me for this anchor stuff that none of you are telling me more about,¡± I said and


    before he could say another word. I heard a voice.


    ¡°Ouch, can you not stand in the middle of the door?¡±


    I looked behind Elijah to see Drusi rubbing her forehead and ring at Cahan who merely


    shrugged at her.


    When had he even arrived? I wondered while he replied, ¡°If you look up instead of your phone while


    walking, you will see that you walked into a wall, not the door.¡±


    Drusi rolled her eyes at him and looked at Elijah and me. ¡°Hey, guys.¡±


    Both of us waved at her and she came to talk to us, leaving Cahan standing by the door. He raised


    an eyebrow but did not say anything.


    She came towards Elijah and said, ¡°El, can you give me the number of that car washing center? I


    wanted them to pick my car up but I lost contact¡±


    Elijah immediately pulled out his phone and sent her a text message with the number while I only


    watched.


    ¡°Hey, what about you?¡± He suddenly asked.


    ¡°Me? I dont have a car to wash¡± I answered and he booped my nose yfully.


    Your mobile. Don¡¯t you have one?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I was never allowed to have one.¡±


    Drusi¡® eyes went wide, ¡°Allowed? Why do you need anybody¡¯s permission to have a mobile?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I was an omega so I was not allowed many perks.¡±


    Drusi came near me and ced her hands on my back as if embracing me. ¡°That is nonsense. Wait,


    how about this? Let me buy you one.¡±¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No. I dont see the need to have one. I lived without a phone so far either way?


    But she was persistent.


    19-19


    ¡°No, it is not okay. We need to stay in touch with you and having a mobile in these modern times is a


    necessity.¡±


    Drusi suddenly came up with an idea, ¡°Cal, can we take her along with us?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Cahan was busy doing something on his phone but looked up when she mentioned me.


    And it was then that he finally looked at me. It had only been a day that he had not looked me in the


    eye but it felt like it had been years.


    His golden eyes looked into mine and a lot of emotions erupted within me at once. But his gaze did not


    stay on me for long- He looked away just after a second and I felt all my hopes and feelings crumble.


    Why did I suddenly feel him to be an important part of my life?


    ¡°No, it should be only us, you know that.¡± He said and his blunt rejection hurt me a little.


    Drusi ced a hand beneath my chin, ¡°Ohe on. Look at the poor girl. She just had her first shift.


    I can send her important stuff directly without having toe meet her in person every time.¡±


    ¡°What important stuff?¡± I asked and Drusi only mumbled, ¡°I mean, girl stuff, you know¡±


    Cahan shrugged and walked outside the door, ¡°If you are noting, I will go alone


    ¡°Wait,¡± Drusi said and dragged me along with her.


    Cahan had climbed down the front steps of the porch while Drusi dragged me and said in a loud


    voice


    ¡°She ising with us. I just asked the car guy to pick up my car from here. I don¡¯t have a car to take


    her to a shop now.¡±


    Cahan pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°Then get her the phone tomorrow. What is the big deal about


    it?¡±


    I felt very bad with the way Cahan was suddenly treating me and I tried to speak to Drusi.


    ¡°There is no need for it, Dru. You can go to your meeting. I told you I don¡¯t need a phone¡±


    Meanwhile, Elijah who was silent all this time, came up with an idea.


    ¡°Hey, I have an idea. I can take her to a shop with me and get her a mobile and a sim card. You guys


    can go to your meeting wherever that is.¡±


    Drusi perked up at that. ¡°Oh, that is great. Well, then that is settled.¡±


    But Cahan suddenly interjected, ¡°El, I had asked you to do something.¡±


    Elijah nodded his head vigorously, ¡°I know, King. The task will bepleted today itself and then I will


    take Zen outside.¡± Elijah suggested but apparently Cahan did not seem happy. At that same


    moment, Drusi¡¯s phone beeped and she


    checked it.


    ¡°Oh shoot. I totally forgot I had to go to the parlor today. I had booked in advance.¡±


    Cahan rolled his eyes, ¡°You cannot be serious now, Dru. This meeting is important.¡±


    Drusi quickly typed something on her mobile and was done.


    ¡°See. I just messaged them to change the meeting to ater date. They agreed too.


    Cahan was apparently done with their stupid behavior so he just muttered.


    ¡°You know what? I will go to my office and get that filepleted.¡±


    He had begun walking outside but Drusi stopped in front of him.


    ¡°No, you are not going in. Just work work all day. Go outside, step in the sun a little.¡±


    Cahan smirked, ¡°What am I? A vampire?¡±


    Drusi rolled her eyes, ¡°You know what? I will get Elijah to drop me to the parlor while you go get the


    mobile for Zenovia.¡± ¡°What?¡± I blurted out and then quickly bit my lip but apparently the shock and


    unwillingness were evident in my voice. ¡°Yes, she is going to help you. I noticed how you both are not


    even talking to each other from the past half an hour that we


    four are with each other.¡±


    King Cahan did not reply but he simply climbed up the stairs and went in through the door.


    ¡°Cal, please. You know why I am doing this.¡±


    Cahan dropped his shoulders and looked at her miserably. ¡°I really don¡¯t see the need for this, Dru


    And the way he was showing his difort and absolute disinterest in doing anything for me was


    irking me,


    ¡°Drusi, I do not need anything. I will go to my room and get some sleep¡± I said because I did not want


    to hear Cahan keep Boding reasons to not be around me any longer.


    It was hurting me and I had no clue what I had done for him to suddenly be so aloof


    Even Elijah turned around with me and we both entered the mansion. I said, ¡°We can discuss my


    training regime after you finish your work. I need some guidance¡±


    Elijah nodded his head and replied, ¡°Give me two hours. I will also detail a diet n for you and create


    a training schedule for you.¡±


    I smiled in delight. ¡°You are the best¡±


    From the corner of my eyes, I saw that Drusi had walked in too and she began chatting with Elijah.


    He looked at me with a soft smile and mouthed ¡°No problem before heading in the opposite direction


    with her.


    And, I decided to head towards my room but then a voice called out to me.


    ¡°Stop¡±


    I turned around to see Cahan ring at me. ¡°Get inside the car. Now!¡±

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Zenovia


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I muttered but Cahan had turned around and was walking towards the car. I stayed there, rooted to


    the spot as he went towards the car that the driver had already brought outside.


    Cahan only gave me a side eye and I promptly climbed down the small flight of stairs before running


    towards him.


    He gave me a side¨Ceye and I meekly went towards his car, rather one of the cars. His garage was on


    the right and there were


    a lot of cars inside that I could not get a glimpse of but they had all looked shiny and luxurious to me.


    But he only opened the door of the car and got in the driver¡¯s seat. Turning the ignition on, he steered


    the car in the direction of the gate.


    He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and kept waiting for me to get in.


    He did not speak to me but simply increased the firing of the car while staring straight ahead.


    After nervously staring at him for some time, I slowly stepped inside the car and got in the seat next to


    him.


    1 closed the door and he did not even let me settle in the seat and simply hit the elerator and drove


    outside through therge pathway.


    ¡°What the-¡± I began but decided to stay shut because I did not want him to take out his anger on me.


    Cahan drove like a madman through the streets that were wide and not many cars dared to get into


    his way. Not knowing what else to do I found the seatbelt and wanted to put it on but fumbled with it


    because he was driving the car as if we were in some stupid race.


    I tried to look outside but the roads seemed blurry and all I could see was a trail of green and brown


    dotted with some buildings here and there.


    I ced my hands on the seat and dug my nails into it, hoping that he would not kill me today.


    I could see the city lights twinkling from a few feet away and felt relieved that I would not be in this car


    for more than a few minutes.


    I closed my eyes and tried hard not to puke as Cahan finally stopped the car outside a shop.


    The car gave a jolt and I was mmed into the seat before he turned off the ignition. In the next


    minute, he was out of the car and mmed the door shut, making my ears hurt.


    He did not look at me nor did he even say a word to me but simply stalked off and went into the shop.


    I took a few minutes to gasp for breath and calm down my raging heart. I was afraid of speeding and it


    terrified me.


    And I had a feeling if I told him, Cahan would have driven the car even faster,unching it into the


    sky.


    After my heartbeat had calmed down a little, I got outside the car and with shaky legs stumbled outside.


    Everybody in the shop was already standing in front of Cahan with their heads bent low and their


    hands folded in the front.


    The store manager, a middle aged woman, promptly offered him a chair and gave him a low bow.


    She was eyeing him as if he was a delicious candy. And not just her, all the salesgirls in the shop were


    eyeing him hungrily. But Cahan did not seem fazed by the looks he was getting. He sat on the chair,


    with his right leg¡¯s ankle resting on the left leg¡¯s knee, and gave them a bored look.


    ¡°Hello, my King. How can I help you today?¡±


    She did not wait for the King to answer and hurriedly looked at her staff.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Get some refreshments for the King.¡±


    The girls who had been staring dazedly at him ran outside to get him something to drink¡±


    However, he pulled out his phone and began checking something. Meanwhile, I slowly stepped towards


    the transparent ss


    door.


    I had half¨Copened it and was about to step inside when the woman shouted at me.


    ¡°Shoo, go away, the shop is closed for now.¡±


    I began, ¡°But I-¡±


    She stomped her feet and came near the door, ¡°Did you not hear me, you filthy girl? You don¡¯t even


    have the money to afford a shampoo, forget stepping inside my shop!!¡±


    12.190


    She red at me and I tried to smoothen my hair to the best of my ability.


    ¡°Listen, I came here with-¡±


    ¡°Security. Throw her out of my sight¡±


    She mmed the door and the guards came rushing towards me. Cahan had been watching all of


    this or ignoring all of this, I was not sure what exactly, but he did not intervene.


    He let the shop owner call me names and only when the security guards were about to touch me did he


    look up from his phone.


    ¡°That girl is with me, she needs a phone¡±


    Upon hearing his words, the security guards promptly stepped away and the woman¡¯s face paled


    visibly.


    ¡°Wh¨Cwhat?¡±


    Cahan did not bother rifying and got busy on his phone again. The woman looked at me from


    head to toe and gave me a disgusted look.


    ¡°People like you leech off rich people all the time¡±


    Wait? Did she think I was a roadside beggar or a homeless person that Cahan had taken pity on and


    wanted to gift me something nice?


    I felt hot tears pricking at the back of my eyes but I did not want to create a scene. The woman did not


    apologize and neither did Cahan reprimand her for his actions.


    1 stepped inside the small butvish shop and was immediately hit by the cool AC air and the soft


    fragrance lingering in the


    air.


    The sales girls who had run outside to get him something to drink returned carrying chilled bottles of


    soft drinks.


    One of them opened the bottle while another slipped a straw inside it. A third one ced it on a small


    serving tray and held it in front of him.


    ¡°Sir, please have some refreshments.¡± She said, blushing hard. The girl was bending a little, giving him


    a peek of her bosom as the of her shirt was open.


    Cahan did not even bother looking at her and picked up the bottle from the tray and took a sip.


    Her face fell but she stepped aside meekly while the shop owner began.


    ¡°Show this girl some cheap and basic phone for her to use. This kindhearted man decided to gift her a


    phone.¡±


    At that the girls stared at Cahan with even more appreciation and I rolled my eyes. Technically, I was


    not paying for the phone but then I had never asked for one.


    He was letting them humiliate me while he was behaving as if he did not even know me.


    I could not understand what had gotten into him.


    One of the salesmen, a young man, who was standing in the corner looked at me with pity.


    I went to the counter as the shopowner barked an order at him. ¡°Show her something cheap¡®


    She then turned to Cahan and began asking questions but he mostly ignored her.


    The salesman gave me a small smile. ¡°So, have you used one before?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    He ced a few small phones with number keys on them and a few that looked like they were made of


    ss.


    I stared at the phones as if they were some alien treasure and he offered to help.


    Nowadays, touchscreen phones are fairlymon.¡±


    He began exining how to use one and I did not have much trouble learning it. I had seen Sid and


    plenty of others use it but I had never owned one though I knew how basic phones worked.


    As he exined the functions, he scribbled something on a piece of paper and pushed it towards me.


    Confused, I looked at the paper, but he ced a hand on it and pretended to be showing me the


    features of another phone.


    I looked around and saw that Cahan was still busy with the shop owner and the girls gushing over


    him.


    The salesman was a young boy, alinost my age, and he seemed decent to me. I slowly picked up the


    note and opened it after confirming that nobody was looking at me.


    When I opened the note, there was a question on it.


    ¡°Are you in trouble?TM


    19.101


    My gaze flitted to him and he looked at me with concern. I looked back at Cahan and I felt unsure of


    the answer.


    I was not in real trouble per se but it felt like Cahan simply did not want me around.


    The salesman saw the way my eyes nervously traveled to Cahan before the salesman lowered his


    voice.


    ¡°My name is Harry. And yours?¡±


    I replied, ¡°Zenovia¡±


    ¡°Zenovia, nice name. So, look, I think the way he is treating you means you did note here willingly


    with him. You seem like a nice person. If you want my help. I will help you.¡±


    I too lowered my voice, ¡°I wish to go to the nearest city but I don¡¯t really have a lot of money.¡±


    Harry gave me a smile, ¡°I understand. Rich brats always make poor girls suffer. But don¡¯t worry, I will


    get you out of this.¡±


    He reached for my hand, gave me a reassuring squeeze, and slipped a few more pieces of paper


    toward me. It was five


    hundred dor bills.


    1 did not want so much money so I pushed them back at him but he ced his hand on mine, forcing


    me to tuck it away in my pockets.


    Then he returned to his normal voice and added, ¡°So, I will pack this phone for you, is that okay?¡±


    I too added in a loud voice. ¡°Yes sure¡±


    He then looked at Cahan, ¡°Our store also has some schemes on sim cards. Which one would you


    like to have? Fill this form for us, please?¡±


    Harry handed me a form and a pen while lowering his voice, ¡°Add your name, and ce of residence


    here. I will make arrangements to take you out of that wretched ce¡±


    I looked up at him with hope. ¡°Thanks a lot¡±


    But before I could begin filling out the form, Cahan got up from his chair and came to stand beside


    me.


    He did not say a word but grabbed that form and filled it on my behalf. Harry only gave me a side¨Ceye,


    signaling me to stay put, while he prepared the bill.


    While Chan was filling out the form, he ced his phone on the counter. And 1 did not want to pry


    but a message popped up on it.


    Cynthia- How long will it take you? I can¡¯t wait anymore.


    I pretended not to see it as he signed the form and tore it off the notepad.


    His actions made it clear that he had used me and now did not want me. So, I could go somece else


    and learn to be a wolf


    on my own.


    While he was handing over the pen and the notepad back to Harry, another message of hers popped


    up.


    Cynthia- Will you please wear ck today?


    I tried not to imagine if they were going on a date or something with the way she was behaving. Not


    that it was of my


    concern.


    In fact, it was a perfect opportunity for me, while he went to meet Cynthia, I was slipping away. I did not


    want to stay in his house and let him treat me like this anymore.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    While the bill was being prepared, Harry gave me a reassuring smile. I smiled back at him and walked


    away with Cahan, who the girls kept gawking at all the time.


    ¡°Please, if you need anything else, you can give me a call and I will personallye to deliver


    whatever you want.¡±


    She smiled at him coyly, but he walked away without another nce at her or the rest of the staff.


    Cahan got in the car and started the ignition while I decided to first put on the seatbelt so that I would


    not get thrown around the car.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I ced the gift-wrapped box on myp and felt grateful to Harry who had thought of such a nice


    gesture. Surely, Cahan couldn¡¯t care less if I was tossed the phone in a rag.


    I took the seat belt¡¯s end and tried to push it into the lock, but it seemed stuck. I tried tugging and


    pulling at it, but it was of


    no use.


    Cahan kept his hands ced on the steering wheel and was looking at the other side, clearly


    indicating that he wanted nothing to do with ine.


    Frowning. I tried again, but it just did not budge.


    I let out an exasperated sigh and muttered, ¡°Can you please help with the seat belt?¡±


    Cahan did not look at me, but his hands reached for the seatbelt and he tugged at it. When he tried


    locking it, it did not happen either.


    So he had to bend towards me a little. His hand brushed mine, and I felt a zap of energy course from


    the tip of my finger to all the nerve endings in my body.


    The touch left me wanting more. He was so close to me, so dangerously close. His face was near my


    chest and his head bent down as he was struggling with the seat belt as well.


    And I did not dare move with the way he was acting. I thought my body would not want him after the


    way he had been indifferent to me since that night. But it seemed like his touch had ignited that spark


    again.


    I began wildly imagining how it would feel to have his lips on my bare skin again. His hair was silky soft


    and dense and I fought my urge to run a hand through them as I kept my hands firmly glued to the seat


    and let him work.


    ¡°Can you move a little?¡± He grunted, and I shuffled in my seat but that only pushed my chest on his


    face.


    Cahan went still for a moment and so did I. I feared he would yell at me for being purposely naughty,


    but he only closed his eyes and opened them again, took a deep breath, and resumed working.


    After what felt like an eternity, the lock finally clicked and he pushed himself away from me with the


    speed of lightning. Was he that annoyed by my touch? Did he also feel disgusted?


    I wondered, but I could not ask him that. I only cursed my body at the way it was reacting to his touch.


    ¡°I muttered, but he only turned on the ignition


    ¡°Thank began driving. This time, however, instead of driving like a maniac, he drove slow and nice.


    It was a relief that I did not have to fear for my life again. However, then I realized that we had another


    problem.


    The car was too big, but then it was just the two of us and the silence felt awkward to me. I did not


    know what to talk to him and I did not even want to, so I decided to look at the phone instead.


    I slowly unwrapped the stic wrapper and opened the box. Inside it was a brand new and shiny


    mobile that looked very high end and expensive, not the small, basic one I had picked.


    I checked the box, wondering if they had somehow put in two instead of one, but there was just this


    onerge mobile in it. Holding it in front of Cahan, I said, ¡°There seems to be a problem. They gave


    me a big, expensive one. We need to go back and exchange it¡±


    However, he did not say a word and kept driving the car. His phone was lying in the small holder and I


    saw another message pop up in it


    Cynthia-I hope you will wear ck. I am going to wear ck too. It will be fun.


    Lignored the message again and let out a breath.


    ¡°Are you listening to me? There is a mistake. They probably made you pay for an expensive one when


    I had picked a cheaper one. Can we go back, please?¡±


    I asked, and he took such a long pause that I did not think he would even speak. Annoyed, I removed


    the seat belt and turned to look at him.


    ¡°What is wrong? Why are you not even talking to me?¡±


    But he only took a sharp turn, and it took me off-guard, making me m into his arms. The unexpected


    turn made me fall into hisp and the car drove into a tree, mming into it.


    The airbags came out, further pushing me onto his chest and I felt sandwiched in between a brick wall


    and a balloon.


    ¡°Shit,¡± He muttered and kicked the car¡¯s door out while grabbing me by the arms. Then we both fell on


    the ground, but as it was a slope, I slid down a little.


    He caught me before I would fall, but his foot slipped and I fell on him, his backnding on the ground


    with me on top of


    him.


    I was coughing and wheezing, and I feared he would throw me off himself immediately. But he only let


    me regain my breath while lying deathly still.


    Seeing that he was not going to help me, I slowly got up and he let me. After getting up, I brushed off


    the dirt and muck on my body and clothes while he sprang up like a coil and surveyed the car.


    ¡°Go, dial Matt¡¯s number and tell him to send a car to pick us up¡±


    He ordered without looking at me as he removed his coat and I saw the pristine white shirt beneath it.


    The shirt fit him perfectly well and I could see his corded muscles and ripped physique hiding beneath


    it.


    I went towards my phone and picked it but then I realized I did not have Matt¡¯s number.


    ¡°L..I don¡¯t have his number,¡± I said while Cahan pulled open the hood and began surveying the


    damage.


    ¡°I know. Call from my phone,¡± He said without looking up and I went to retrieve his phone from the car.


    I unlocked the screen with a simple swipe and I saw his inbox was open. I did not want to but there


    were literally a dozen or more messages, a long conversation of him with Cynthia.


    Even if I wanted to, I did not open the messages and fumbled a bit with theyout of the phone before


    finding the keypad, especially because every other second Cynthia kept sending messages.


    Cynthia- Please choose which one should I wear today.


    The message popped up, and I identally clicked it open. Along with the message, she sent two


    images. There were two ck dresses, both extremely short and revealing.


    My brain began imagining Cynthia lying on his office table and seducing him as Cahan roamed his


    hands over her. It red a spark of jealousy in me and I began to tremble.


    My eyes went wide at the next message- I will wear just the dress, nothing else.


    It was followed by a wink emoji.


    I wanted to simply throw the phone away, but Cahan¡¯s voice brought me out of my reverie.


    ¡°What did Matteo say?¡±


    I shook my head and immediately dialed his number, but thankfully he did not pick up so I did not have


    to cook up a story.


    ¡°He did not pick up,¡± I said and Cahan grunted, ¡°Try again¡±


    I fumbled with the keypad and realized that his phone¡¯s battery was almost about to die.


    I was about to copy his number on my phone, but his phone switched off and that left us with nothing to


    do.


    I told him what happened, and he cursed while kicking at the car¡¯s tire.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Let us walk¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows, and only now did I see where we were. I saw nothing but trees and the wild


    jungle all around. ¡°But had we note to the city to buy a phone?¡± I asked in confusion, and Cahan


    nodded. ¡°I wanted to get home fast and driving through the city roads attracted a lot of attention, so I


    thought of going through the woods.¡±


    That was the first long answer I had received from him in thest two days. Not that it exined why he


    had preferred going through the forest.


    The small path was muddy, and that exined why he was driving slowly. I was so absorbed in trying


    to not react to his touch that I did not even notice where he had brought me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said meekly and fell in steps beside him. He retrieved his car keys, wallet, and a few other


    things while I held my phone.


    We began walking through the forest and I asked, ¡°Do you remember the numbers of Drusi, Elijah, or


    anybody else?¡±


    Cahan shook his head. ¡°I had them saved in my phone and that is dead, so let us walk for the next


    thirty minutes and we will reach home. The sooner the better¡±

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Zenovia


    I loved the wilderness, and walking had been a part of my daily routine. I would often take the longest


    route from school to the packhouse so that I could admire the surroundings, the nature and it also kept


    me away from Sid and his friends for a longer time.


    But now, while walking with Cahan, I felt odd. Cahan maintained a distance from me, but my legs


    had already begun to


    hurt.


    I had run a lot in the morning, and I had not rested even for a second before Cahan had dragged me


    outside.


    So my muscles were aching, but I did not dare say a word to him. My legs felt as if they were on fire,


    but I kept walking with him.


    I winced a little when my foot hit a rock as I was looking elsewhere and a hot bolt of pain shot up my


    leg.


    But I suppressed it and kept walking with him. However, his pace was too much for me to handle. His


    long legs took bigger strides, and I had to literally run instead of walking to keep up with him.


    And the fact that I had stabbed my toe against the rock and my legs were hurting was putting me at a


    gross disadvantage.


    Cahan kept pacing forward, and I tried running with him, but my legs could not keep up anymore and


    I stumbled against a rock, my body crashing against a tree.


    ¡°Ahh¡±


    I went down with a thud and it was then that he looked behind. I tried not to scream as I gripped my left


    leg to free my foot that had gotten stuck


    Cahan shook his head dismissively and got near me. Hisrge hands sunk into the ground at once


    and he pulled out the big rocks in an instant.


    I fell to the ground as I tried not to cry.


    My leg was bruised and battered, and I probably had broken my ankle.


    Cahan looked at my leg and muttered, ¡°Looks like you cannot walk now


    I fought the pain shooting up my leg and answered, ¡°You¡­you can go. I wille slowly.¡±


    Cahan did not speak a word, but bent down and picked me up in an instant. I shuddered at his touch,


    but he only picked me up like I weighed nothing and began walking ahead.


    I wanted to protest, but I knew I could not walk in such a condition.


    So I let him carry me as we headed towards his mansion. Despite not wanting to, I nuzzled against his


    chest as my bones suddenly snapped.


    I tried to bite into my lips hard, but it did not help me.


    ¡°Argh¡± I let out a scream and Cahan immediately asked. ¡°What is the matter?¡±.


    I could not answer as white hot pain shot up my leg. I felt as if my ankle was being twisted and my


    bones breaking inside of my leg.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    It was unbearable, and I buried my face in Cahan¡¯s shirt to not scream again.


    I was shaking like a leaf as wave after wave of pain hit me. And I did not even realize that he had


    begun to run.


    His strides were already longer but when he ran, it felt as if I was sitting in some high speed car. But


    even opening my eyes to see where he was taking me felt like an effort.


    My bones felt like they were snapping and bending but were unable to do so as something was


    stopping them, so they kept trying again and again, sending hot white pain up my body every single


    time.


    -Tears were streaming down my eyes and in no time, I felt his embrace leave me. But I did not have the


    energy to worry


    about where I wasnding.


    I fell on something soft as I heard Cahan immediately yell, ¡°Get the doctor now!!¡±


    He sat beside me and ced his hands on my head, in an attempt to pacify me, but it was not really


    helping.


    Hearing his voice, somebody brought the doctor in another twenty minutes or so in which the pain had


    worsened to another degree.


    I was writhing and thrashing in pain, but I somehow managed to open my eyes and see Cahan drag


    a doctor inside the


    room.


    ¡°Heal her.¡± He ordered and the doctor quickly got to work. He looked at the leg and asked a few


    questions to Cahan


    ¡°How old is she, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-one I guess¡±


    ¡°Did she sessfully shift the first time?¡±


    ¡°Notpletely


    He scratched the back of his head, ¡°Well, then, my King. It is her wolf who is trying to interfere with the


    healing process.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cahan asked.


    ¡°Usually, when werewolves suffer an injury, their wolf abilities take over and the injury is healed faster


    than an ordinary


    human.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Cahan probed.


    ¡°I am afraid her wolf wants to heal her, but since she could not awaken her inner wolfpletely, she is


    unable to help the girl and that is frustrating her, making her try harder. That is resulting in her bones


    snapping and trying to heal over and over again.¡±


    He then pointed to my leg. ¡°That swelling is not normal. Her veins have protruded and they appear all


    ck and blue. Her wolf wants to show up, but the girl¡¯s body is unable to allow her, as she is weak


    right now.¡±


    Cahan shot me a worried look and ran a hand through his hair.


    ¡°Well then, what should be done in this case?¡±


    The doctor shrugged. ¡°I am not sure if what I am assuming is 100% correct, but I have not seen such a


    case before. I would have to ask a few more questions to determine her condition. May P


    He threw me a wary look as I fisted with the sheets, holding them in my fingers and digging my nails


    into it.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Cahan muttered while shoving his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°Who was with her when she showed the first symptoms of awakening her wolf?¡±


    ¡°Me¡± Cahan answered.


    ¡°Was her skin hot to the touch or cold?¡±


    Cahan scratched his temple. ¡°She was hot and then she broke out into sweat¡±


    The doctor noted it on his notepad. ¡°Did she show any other symptoms? Any unusual mood swings,


    anger, confusion, or something else?¡±


    Despite the searing pain in my body, I looked at him at that question.


    I had gone in heat, and I had asked him to mark me. And he had given me my first orgasm and left his


    mark on my buttock.


    Cahan¡¯s gaze met mine, and I pleaded with him through my eyes to not tell the doctor about it.


    Somehow I felt it was very personal and with half the mansion listening to the conversation attentively,


    1 did want everybody to know of it so soon.


    I felt ashamed of not having enough control over my wolf and body and did not want to be subjected to


    judgemental looks.


    Luckily, Cahan looked at me intently for a minute and replied, ¡°Nothing unusual. She has been wild


    and unruly since day one, so no change in that.¡±


    His words made everybody chuckle, but I felt relieved that he had not humiliated me any further.


    However, that was the only good thing he did for me because he tore his gaze from me again.


    ¡°So, how long will she keep crying and whining because of her leg?¡±


    So, Mr. Lycan King was back to being grumpy again. I let my head fall on the pillow and tried to fight


    the pain while the doctor scribbled something on his notepad.


    I believe medications will only lull her to sleep. I cannot do anything to tell her wolf to stop trying. A wolf


    only talks to their human and probably would respond to their mate. As I am neither, I can¡¯t be of much


    help.¡±


    Maria hade to sit beside me and patted my forehead lovingly.


    ¡°May she find her mate soon. Doctor, maybe give her some sleeping pills. At least she can rest without


    going through the pain again and again¡±


    The doctor nodded. ¡°I could do that, but then there is a risk. Her wolf might not like the interference and


    reject the medicines.¡±


    ¡°A wolf can do that?¡± It was Drusi¡¯s voice who voiced out her concern.


    ¡°A wolf can do amazing things to a human. A wolf is more like a second being within us, an individual


    personality, but the


    goals are aligned. Even a human body rejects a medicine sometimes leading to side effects so I am not


    sure¡±


    Cahan gritted his teeth. ¡°I did not appoint you as the chief doctor to hear you say how you are unsure


    of everything. Just heal the girl and make her stop crying¡±


    Cahan seemed very irritated with my screams, and I promptly shut up. The care he had shown when


    picking me up and running hastily to the mansion. had it been my imagination?


    Did he really hate me so much all of a sudden? Or had he always felt disgusted by my presence and


    was thinking that I was turning into a clingy, whiny beggar?


    I tried to sit up on the bed, and Maria propped the cushions behind me for support.


    The doctor nched at Cahan¡¯s words and hastily pulled out an injection.


    ¡°I¡­I will inject her with a sleep inducing medicine. She will stay asleep for a few hours and hopefully


    the pain will be less tomorrow morning.¡±


    Cahan merely grunted. ¡°Do that then.¡±


    The doctor prepared the injection and wiped a patch of my skin with some cotton, but I shook


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the injection¡±


    my head.


    He looked at me worriedly, ¡°But if you don¡¯t take this, you will feel the pain all night. Your wolf will


    gradually realize she is hurting you more and stop trying.¡±


    I winced as another wave of pain shot up my leg, but did not let another tear slip out of my eyes.


    ¡°I want to¡­meet my wolf if she is showing up¡­I want her to know that I am not weak¡±


    Maria ced a hand on mine and gently squeezed it. ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh on yourself, girl.¡±


    However, I looked at Cahan and answered, ¡°I need to be¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Zenovia


    The doctor threw me a wary look and then shot a hesitant look at Cahan.


    He only shrugged, ¡°Well then leave some pain meds for her. If she feels like it, she will have them.¡±


    Saying so, he walked out of the room without another word. Meanwhile, Elijah came to sit beside me.


    ¡°You are going to be fine, you are strong.¡±


    I nodded my head and he squeezed my hand before muttering, ¡°I wille check on you shortly¡±


    Matteo gave me a nod and left while dragging Drusi along with himself.


    The other servants left too leaving just Maria with me.


    ¡°Would you like to eat something?¡± She asked but I shook my head.


    ¡°No, I would like to rest a little.¡± Maria cupped my face and replied, ¡°Sure, if you need anything just ring


    the bell¡±


    After she walked out, I let out a sigh and decided to calm down. The pain in my body was not that much


    or maybe my body had developed a certain tolerance after going through so much pain.


    And now that I was alone, my mind kept reying the whole day of the time spent with Cahan and


    how he was behaving,


    with me.


    But despite his frustrating behavior, I realized that my wolf was trying to contact me, to help me heal.


    That meant she had notpletely abandoned me.


    I just did not know how to reach out to her. I was willing to endure the pain if I would get to meet her. I


    could not stand being weak and helpless anymore.


    ¡°Please, if you are listening to me¡­know that I want to meet you as much as you are trying. I promise I


    will get strong¡±


    I said to myself and closed my eyes. The silence in the room was deafening and it was unlike the influx


    of all the smallest noises bombarding my brain


    I wanted to sleep but it was evading me. Not knowing what to do, I picked up my phone and was


    surprised to see a message waiting for me.


    It was from an unknown number.


    I opened it and checked the text that said- Hey, Ham Harry. Did you reach home safely?


    I immediately replied, Yes, I did.


    The message was sent a few hours ago and I kept staring at the screen hoping to receive a reply.


    When it was close to half an hour that I still did not receive a message. I gave up and put the phone to


    the side,


    But then I heard a beep. Curious, I quickly pulled it near me and saw another text message.


    Take


    your medicines.


    That¡¯s it. There was no name, no introduction, nothing else.


    Only one person would be so gruff to me.


    I typed ¡®Fuck off and make me run for


    I wanted to hit enter but decided against it. If he came thundering inside this room, he could very well


    life and I was not even in the condition to walk, let alone run to save myself.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I stared at that stupid message for a while, wondering what to reply. And then I simply decided to not


    send any at all. He was just being courteous, nothing more.


    At least that is what I told myself. There was another beep and 1 opened my inbox. It was from Harry.


    That is great to hear. So, do you want to meet again?


    I did not take even a second to reply and typed Yes and hit the send button.


    Harry¡¯s reply was instant this time.


    Great. Meet me in an hour at Jack¡¯s Bar. Use the money to hire a cab and get there. It is a famous


    ce.


    I looked at my leg. It was still hurting and I wondered if I could run away without limping or screaming.


    I prayed that my wolf would stop trying to mend me. Now was my chance to run away. I recalled that


    Cynthia and Cahan were probably going out somewhere tonight.


    He was going to be busy.


    So, I might as well run away. With that thought in mind, I got up and slowly went towards the bathroom,


    limping towards it.


    The pain had stopped considerably but I did not want to risk it so I took the painkillers just enough to


    not make me feel drowsy.


    Then I showered and put on loose jeans and a hoodie so that it would give mefort to run or walk.


    The painkillers took their effect and my leg did not hurt a lot while moving and I was not limping


    anymore.


    Maybe the doctor had given me a small but strong dosage.


    While I was getting ready, I received another message.


    Wear something nice for the bar so that you blend in.


    It was Harry¡¯s message. I frowned after reading it. I did not really like wearing sexy or revealing but


    then I would stick out like a sore thumb if I went to the bar wearing a hoodie and blue jeans.


    I stared at the wardrobe and rummaged through it, wondering what to wear.


    After a few minutes, I found the perfect dress a knee-length A-line silhouette in a beautiful ck


    colored satin fabric. It had a modest boat neckline that showed a hint of my corbones without being


    too revealing. The sleeves were three-quarter length, adding an elegant touch to the overall look.


    The ck would allow me to blend in the night and not get noticed if I slipped through the shadows. It


    was definitely not because I had seen Cahan and Cynthia¡¯s exchange where they decided to wear


    ck.


    I decided to cinch the waist gently with a slim ck belt, entuating my figure without going for an


    overly sensual look. The flowy skirt of the dress allowed forfortable movement and did not make


    me look like I wanted to attract attention.


    For jewelry, I chose a pair of small pearl stud earrings that added a touch of elegance to my


    appearance.


    As for shoes, I slipped on ssic ck pumps with no heel so that they would allow me to move


    effortlessly.


    There was an entire section of handbags, purses, and clutches all around and stuffed with things of all


    possible colors. It made me dizzy just by looking at it so I was d the dress came with a nice small


    pocket that I could use to store my phone and the cash.


    For my makeup, I went for a natural and radiant look. I opted for a soft smoky eye with neutral shades,


    a touch of rosy blush on my checks, and a subtle lip color that enhanced my lips without being too bold.


    I left my hair open and decided to take a peek outside. The coast was clear and most of the servants


    had gone to sleep.


    Since Cahan was not home, the rest of the people had decided to go to bed early it seemed.


    ¡°Good for me¡± I thought and slowly walked out of the mansion, tiptoeing my way through the huge front


    yard and sprinting out of the gate before the guards would notice me.


    I had to walk a few minutes before I spotted a cab and as Harry had instructed informed the driver of


    the venue.


    He did not ask further questions which meant that it was indeed a famous ce.


    My heart was hammering at the confusing thoughts swirling through my head wondering how to thank


    Harry for his generosity.


    I took my phone out of my pocket and sent him a message.


    On the way to Jack¡¯s bar.


    His reply was instant.


    Great. Can¡¯t wait to meet you.


    I felt a little blush rising up my cheeks at the thought of him saying that. We had only met once but he


    seemed like a kind-hearted man.


    I was also determined to return the rest of the money since I did not want so much. Maybe, I could ask


    him to refer me to some ce where they were hiring and I could start earning


    That way I would have my own money.


    The thoughts about Cahan and the night I had spent with him were now just a memory. He was


    probably happily giving Cynthia whatever she wanted so it was high time that I focused on my life.


    I was lost in thoughts and did not even realize that the cab had stopped. Blinking, I looked up outside


    the car windows and saw a big neon sign outside an expensive looking ce.


    ¡°Miss, you have arrived¡±


    I got out of the car and handed the driver the money but he did not have the change.


    ¡°Miss the ride cost you 40$,¡± He said and I fumbled.


    ¡°40$?¡± I asked in an incredulous tone and he replied, ¡°Well, it iste night, the charges are on the


    higher side.¡±


    I found the 100$ bill and gave it to him. ¡°Here¡±


    ¡°Sorry miss. I do not have the change¡±


    1 frowned but before I could answer a hand tapped on my shoulder.


    ¡°Are you in some trouble?¡± I looked up to see a masked man looking at me.


    ¡°Uh, do I know you?¡± I asked and the person took his mask off.


    ¡°I think so¡±


    ¡°Harry!! What a way to startle me!¡± I said and he chuckled at that and looked at the driver.


    ¡°Keep the change¡±


    The driver nodded and left without another word while I looked at Harry with a wide open mouth.


    ¡°What are you? Some secret billionaire?¡±


    Harry chuckled, ¡°Spend some time with me and you will soon find out.¡±

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    I giggled at that thought as Harry slipped his hand into mine and guided me to the entry of the bar.


    His hand was warm and inviting, and I felt thrilled to be stepping into a bar. I had never been to one


    before and I was not sure why he had brought me here, but everybody around me was chatting happily


    and grooving to the music so I let myself loose a little.


    Two big men that I doubted were alphas of some kind, were standing at the entrance.


    ¡°Bouncers,¡± Harry mouthed, and he put on his mask again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one,¡± I said, and he pulled out a pink colored one from his jacket. ¡°I have got you covered¡±


    I put on the mask and stepped inside the bar with him. The atmosphere was electric. Dazzling lights


    were shing at regr intervals and there was smoke all around.


    Everybody was dressed in nice modern clothes and I was d Harry had informed me to change into


    something nice.


    Not a single person was in a hoodie. A few girls were grooving to the music already, and I saw a few


    couples making out in the dark corners of the bar.


    Harry guided me through the crowded ce and pulled me to one of the less noisy corners.


    ¡°You are looking fabulous, Zenovia,¡± He said as he gave me a quick once over. Harry was wearing


    simple ck jeans and a red T-shirt but he looked nice too.


    But instead of blurting out apliment, I asked. ¡°Why did you pick a bar to meet of all the ces? It is


    so noisy here¡± Harry lowered his face and whispered in my ear. ¡°Because your rich brat won¡¯t suspect


    you to be here of all the ces¡± Well, he had a point. I would never go to a bar on my own as I did not


    drink and could barely move like a stick to call it a dance unless I was in my room, alone, and no one


    was watching me.


    Then I would throw caution out of the window. But not in a crowded ce filled with extremely good


    looking people. ¡°So, what is the n? How am I going to get out?¡± I asked,ing straight to the point.


    But Harry had other ns in mind, it seemed.


    ¡°Loosen up a little, girl. I wanted you to get out of your shell first¡±


    I threw him a confused look. ¡°I do not have the money to pay for anything except the dors you gave


    me. And now I just have $400. I wish to look for a job first and repay you.¡±


    I said so that he would not feel I was leeching off him.


    ¡°1


    But Harry only ced a hand on my shoulder and replied, ¡°Work, job, money. Is that all you think


    about? Are you pot listening? Getfortable first and then we talk about your escape n.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. I looked around and


    found an empty stool so sat on it while looking at the crowd.


    Harry returned, holding two sses in his hand. It was a blue colored drink that he offered to me while


    he took the other


    one.


    ¡°Here, tonic for the nerves,¡± He said, and I shook my head.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t drink¡±


    Harry smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t either. This is a soft drink, not liquor. It looks odd that we are sitting here alone


    just chatting, so I thought holding a ss in our hands would make us look cool.¡±


    I chuckled at that and took the ss from him.


    ¡°So, Zenovia, can you tell me more about yourself?¡± ¡°So, Zenoyia, can you tell me more about


    yourself?¡±


    I bit my


    y lower lip nervously. ¡°Well, my stepmotharry said, while looking at me expectantly.


    trying to figure out a way to escape him.¡±


    Want me around, so she sold me off to the rich brat. And I am


    ¡°Typical. Stepmothers always hate beautiful stepdaughters¡± Harry clicked his tongue.


    He took a sip from his drink and asked, ¡°So, this rich brat of yours¡­how does he treat you?¡±


    I fumbled with the answer.


    ¡°He is cold and aloof.¡± I managed and Harry looked at me darkly.


    ¡°This might sound a little personal, but did he ever force yourself upon you? I could get the local police


    involved if he is exploiting you in any way. That way, you are free and that bastard rots in jail forever¡±


    My eyes went wide at that. I did not want Cahan to rot in jail. And he had not forced himself on me,


    rather I was the one who had begged him to, but that was only because my emotions and wolf were


    messing with my brain.


    I shook my head, ¡°No he did not¡±


    ¡°Great. So you are a virgin then,¡± He said with a cheerful smile and I did not know what to reply so only


    stared ahead awkwardly.


    Harry received a call on his phone, and he stepped aside. ¡°I will join you in a minute¡±


    I nodded my head and sat watching the couples grooving to the music as a few danced very closely.


    While watching the couples, my eyes fell on a particr one that stood out from the rest of the dancers.


    Or particrly the man who was dancing. He was tall and athletic, and his body frame was almost


    exactly like Cahan.


    He and the girl with him, both were wearing ck, but from this distance, it was hard to tell who they


    were as it was crowded and the lights were shing a lot.


    Plus, all the people were wearing masks. I looked around, but Harry was nowhere to be found. My


    gaze drifted back to the couple, but they had disappeared into thin air.


    Furrowing my eyebrows, I got up from the chair and took a few steps in the direction I had seen them.


    After a bit of searching, I saw them in a corner¡­or the girl dragging the man in a corner.


    She was wearing an almost see through dress, every curve of her body visible as she kept mming


    her body onto the man¡¯s, demanding him to touch her.


    And the man was not very reluctant to grant her the wish. She wasughing and giggling while she


    dragged him to a couch and pushed him onto the plush velvet couch.


    The man fell on the couch as she grabbed a ss from one of the waiters, who was carrying a tray full


    of drinks.


    She picked one and pushed the waiter away, who almost tripped on the others. He left without arguing


    and I figured they must be quite rich for everybody to leave them alone or either regr customers at


    the bar.


    The girl clinked her heels and sashayed her hips as she slowly made her way towards the man.


    cing a knee right in between his legs to make him part his legs a little, she leaned forward and tilted


    her head.


    The man ced his hands on the back of the sofa, casually resting them as the girl kept moving


    seductively.


    She oozed with confidence and knew what she was doing, unlike me, who was sticking her head


    behind a wall and hoping no one would notice.


    The girl was wearing a ck shimmery almost see through dress and she did a little twirl, letting her


    ass jiggle in front of the man before slowly turning around.


    The man kept watching her through the mask but did not immediately grab her. She did her little twirl


    and brought the ss in front of the man.


    The mask was only covering the upper half of his face, leaving just his lips and jaw open. She brought


    the ss closer to his mouth and urged him to take a sip.


    He waited for a moment instead of gulping it down right away. And then she slowly reached for his


    mask and pulled it up.


    I watched with bated breath as the mask came up. And I took a few more steps closer to see who it


    was, as I could not contain my curiosity anymore.


    My breath hitched when a pair of golden eyes revealed themselves and I felt them stare directly at me.


    It was just a brief stare and maybe I had imagined it, but I felt as if Cahan had noticed me. Not


    wanting to make my presence obvious, I quickly hid behind as I tried t


    I calm my racing heart.


    What was he doing here, of all ces? That girl was definitely Cynthia then. And she was leaving no


    stone unturned to seduce him.


    And Cahan was letting her¡­!


    I tried to not let it affect me. He was here with his girlfriend, or whatever she was. He meant nothing to


    me.


    I took a peek a second time at them, careful to not let them see me, and was d for the crowd that


    covered me,


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Cynthia leaned closer to him and her hair fell on her face as I saw her whisper something in his ear.


    Their faces were close, too close, as she kept pushing her chest on him. And I could not see that


    anymore.


    No, I did not want to see it anymore.


    So just turned around and walked back to the corner I had been talking with Harry to earlier.


    To hell with Cahan and Cynthia. I was going to enjoy my life, too.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Zenovia


    ¡°Hey, where had you disappeared to?¡± Harry asked when I returned to our spot.


    ¡°I even tried calling you, but you did not receive my call,¡± Harry added, as I tried not looking in the


    direction where Cahan and Cynthia were making out.


    ¡°I¡­I just thought I saw someone I know.¡± I gave him the half-truth.


    However, he immediately grew alert. ¡°You did? Where is he or she?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°That is not the person I thought him to be, so let it go¡±


    Harry gave me a look of concern but otherwise just shrugged. ¡°Well, as far as you are okay, I don¡¯t


    mind.¡±


    He looked at my drink, which was still untouched. ¡°Okay, let that ss go. You have been holding it for


    almost an hour without taking a sip. You don¡¯t have to¡±


    He added with augh, but I looked at the drink and gulped it down in one go. Harry threw me an


    amazed look.


    ¡°Woah, what has gotten into you?¡± He asked, but I only smiled at him innocently, batting my eyshes.


    ¡°You wanted me to loosen up a little, right? I am loosening up,¡± I said and even from the mask I saw the


    way he was confused by the sudden change in my behavior.


    I was too, but I did not care at this point. I simply wanted to forget Cahan tonight.


    I made a face and looked at the ss. ¡°This drink was so boring. Let us drink something nice¡±


    Harry furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°You told me you don¡¯t drink, girl¡±


    I nodded my head. ¡°Change of ns, let us drink something stronger¡±


    Saying so, I grabbed his hand and began dragging him towards the drinks counter. After reaching it, I


    pushed myself up on the stool and looked at the bartender.


    ¡°How may I help you, miss?¡±


    He asked, and I smiled at him, ¡°Knock me off¡±


    The bartender gave me a devious smile and began preparing the drink. I watched in excitement as he


    threw the shaker up in the air, caught it in his hand, and then poured it into the ss along with some


    cubes of ice.


    ¡°There you go¡±


    He said, and I took the ss in my hand. ¡°Hey, stop.¡±


    Harry spoke, but I closed my eyes, held my nose with my index finger and thumb, and downed it in one


    go.


    The drink sent a tingling sensation straight up my head, making me feel warm and fuzzy.


    ¡°Again¡± I mmed my hand on the table and the bartender smiled, ¡°Are you sure, miss?¡±


    I nodded my head while Harry got on a stool beside me and answered on my behalf.


    ¡°I believe thedy is ready to let herself loose¡±


    I chuckled at that, and my gaze inad


    To my horror, Cynthia was now sitting in his


    to the corner where I had seen Cahan and Cynthia.


    and her hair was on his face. They were definitely making out.


    Annoyed with myself, that it still bothered me, I did not even keep track of the drinks I was having.


    Around the fourth or fifth one, Harry stopped the bartender from giving me any.


    ¡°Okay enough. You are drunk¡±


    I chuckled at that. ¡°Who? Me? I am a good girl, I don¡¯t drink¡±


    Harry got up from the stool and shook his head. ¡°Okay, enough now. Come, let us go. I want you to


    meet someone


    He said and pulled me up from the stool.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, and he smiled. ¡°A friend. He wants to meet you.¡±


    I tilted my head. ¡°Which friend and where is he?¡±


    Harry let out a sigh. ¡°I should never let you drink so much again. Nowe on.¡±


    He tugged at my hand, but I did not budge. Instead, I dragged him towards the dance floor.


    ¡°No, let us go dance¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°Party is over, Zenovia. Let us go!¡±


    But I was insistent. ¡°No,e dance with me. And get your friend here too. We all can dance¡±


    I said as I went further towards the dancing crowd, letting go of my hold over his hand.


    The DJ changed the music to a peppy beat, and I began to dance as if nobody was watching.


    The drinks made me feel light-headed and the pain in my leg was suddenly gone. My whole body felt


    as if it was made of air and that I was floating, drifting to some dreand.


    All around me, people were dancing while I grooved and danced like there was no tomorrow. I bumped


    into a young man who was dancing with his friends and he gave me a smile and began grooving with


    me.


    I smiled and started dancing with him as he matched my steps. ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    He asked, and I shook my head, ¡°Not really. But my friend doesn¡¯t like to dance¡±


    ¡°Well, I like to,¡± He said and stepped closer, and 1 let him. Soon, his hands rested on my waist and we


    began dancing to the rhythm.


    I felt as if I was dancing on the clouds, my body moving like a feather.


    ¡°You dance nice,¡± Hemented and pulled me closer. His hand was beginning to slide lower, but then


    somebody turned me around and I was mmed into a cold hard wall of muscle.


    I gulped to see the golden eyes staring at me through the mask.


    I knew those eyes, but my brain just could not remember who exactly it was. Maybe, I was utterly


    wasted. But my body


    reacted to his touch.


    His hands pulled me close, and I went into his embrace like a moth to a me. The other guy tried to


    dance with me again, but the man dancing with me red at him and pushed him away.


    The guy joined his friends in dancing while the golden eyed man ced his hands on my waist.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± I asked as one of his hands rested on my waist while the other traveled down my


    elbow to intertwine his fingers with mine.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Notpletely,¡± He answered and his voice did things to me, odd, delicious things.


    His touch ignited something primal inside of me and I let him twirl and turn me as he took control of the


    dance and of everything else.


    The entire bar and my worries disappeared into thin air as I danced with the sexy hunk. I was reminded


    of my dance with Cahan at the ball a few days ago, when he had danced with me in a slow tune.


    But this was different, this was fast, this was frenzied, and this was sexy as hell. His hands traveled


    down from my waist to my butt and he gently squeezed it, making me moan.


    And then something erupted within me. I looked at him, really looked at him, and it was as if a switch


    was turned on.


    ¡°Cahan,¡± I breathed as he mned my body


    soul.


    He neither denied that name nor agreed to be him. But I saw the golden eyes boring into my eyes,


    reaching my very


    He raised my hand and twirled me, making me spin at a dizzying speed. The lights around me looked


    blurry, everything looked hazy, as the music suddenly sounded dull against the sound of my raging


    heartbeat.


    I had not really paid attention to his clothes and how well they fit him, how the top button of his shirt


    was open, giving me a delicious view of his chiseled chest or how his fingers ignited a spark inside of


    me, every time they brushed my skin, making me shiver.


    This.


    -I wanted this.


    All of this and much more. My body, my mind, my wolf¡­.everything wanted him, his touch, and loved


    the feeling it evoked inside of me.


    This was the second tirne I was dancing with him, but unlike the ball where I was guarded and aware of


    every gaze on me, I truly let myself loose.


    My hands reached for his shirt and I tugged at his cor, pulling him close as the scent of his cologne


    wafted towards me. His scent was just like him- dark and invigorating. I felt myself craving for him and


    my mouth watered at the scent, at what his body was doing to me, and wanted to w his clothes out.


    And I¡¯must have tried ripping his shirt apart, for he swiftly took hold of my hands and put them away


    from his shirt.


    ¡°Not now, you still have to finish your job¡±


    I blinked. Job? What job?


    We were dancing, and he had yet to touch me anywhere except my waist. Why was that?


    Feeling annoyed, I tried to shake off his hold, but he maintained an iron grip on me. He lowered his


    face as heat rushed to my cheeks when he brought his lips near my ears.


    ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± I asked as his breath tickled my skin, making the loose strands of hair brush


    against my cheek.


    He pushed the strands away, tucking them behind my car, and whispered.


    ¡°Just reminding you that you are mine, littlemb¡­¡±


    A shiver of pleasure rippled through me as he said those words and the way his lips brushed against


    my earlobe, making my core ache for him.


    Just why did he have this effect on me?


    While I wondered about it, he leaned in just a little and I felt his tongue flick over my ear, sending


    another wave of pleasure that shot through every single nerve, followed by his teeth that softly bit into


    my earlobe, making me moan.


    ¡°¡­just mine.¡±


    He said, and I shut my eyes due to the bolt of pleasure making me giddy as I tried to stop my knees


    from wobbling.


    I stayed like that just for a while, waiting for him to say more, do more, but there was nothing. And


    when I opened my eyes, he was gone.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    I blinked in confusion and looked around, wondering where the sexy man had disappeared to. I had not


    imagined the entire dance with Cahan, right?


    I looked around, trying to find him, but he was nowhere to be seen. The dance floor was crowded, and I


    was unable to find any familiar face. I hoped to find Cynthia and figured that he would be with her, but


    even she was nowhere to be seen.


    My head felt like a mush and I was not sure what was going on. Maybe I had had too many drinks.


    My head was throbbing in pain and I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Suddenly, the huge dance floor felt


    ustrophobic due to all the people dancing so closely together.


    I tried pushing my way through them but could not make much of a progress. That is why I felt relieved


    when I saw Harry¡¯s


    face.


    ¡°Harry!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs so as to drown the noise of the music sting through the


    huge speakers, He was looking for me and I waved desperately, jumping up and down on my heels


    until he finally located me.


    ¡°Harry!!¡± He finally spotted me and came forward.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Where the hell had you disappeared to?¡± He asked and grabbed my hand, pulling me aside.


    He seemed a little angry as he dragged me out of the dancing crowd and pushed me into a corner


    ¡°Did I not tell you to stay here? Why do you keep running around?¡± He asked, raking a hand through


    his hair.


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Why are you yelling at me?¡±


    My question further angered him and he almost punched into the nearby wall.


    ¡°You ask me that? Do you understand the risk I was taking by bringing you here?¡±


    I only looked at him in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, let us go,¡± Harry grabbed my hand again and headed towards the stairs that led to the first


    floor of the bar. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, as he tightened his grip on me.


    ¡°I told you my friend wasing over to meet you. He is waiting for you.¡± Harry said, and the way he


    was dragging me made me feel ufortable.


    ¡°Stop it, Harry! You are hurting me!!¡±


    I cried, but my voice was muffled due to the dancers and music all around. But Harry paid no attention


    to my words.


    In fact, he was not at all being the Harry I knew,


    There were a few bouncers standing by the side, all of whom were big and definitely stronger than


    Harry.


    They would definitely help me if I told them what was going on.


    Meanwhile, Harry continued to pull me towards the stairs on the other end of the big club and I began


    panicking.


    In an effort to save myself. I twisted my hand to loosen his grip over me,


    ¡°What the¡± Harry began, but I half-stumbled, half-ran towards the bouncers standing on the side and


    put my hands together as if begging for them to intervene.


    Pointing in the direction of Harry, I screamed. ¡°That that guy¡­he is dragging me somewhere I don¡¯t


    want to go. Please, help


    me.¡±


    However, the guards kept looking around as if I was not screaming my lungs out.


    ¡°Hey, are you listening?¡± I jumped up and down in front of them, screamed again, but the other


    bouncers merely circled me, blocking others¡¯ view of me, and stood still.


    Harry came walking into the circle angrily, and they let him in. He yanked hard at my arm. ¡°You are


    being such a pain in the ass. I swear I want to knock you out right now¡±


    My eyes went wide, and I tried hitting him with punches and kicks, but this time, he did not let his grip


    loosen.


    I threw a helpless look at the bouncers again, indicating to them that I did not want to go with Harry,


    however, they turned a blind eye at me.


    Something was very, very wrong here.


    ¡°Waith Harry, let me go!!¡±


    I kept screaming and shouting as he began climbing up the stairs, dragging me with himself. I tried to


    kick at him and punch, but I was drunken and had already expended a lot of energy while dancing and


    not trying to pass out.


    Harry kept dragging me and two bouncers began following us so as to not let me slip away. I panicked


    and opened my mouth and bit hard into his hand.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± He cursed under his breath as he let go of my hand. I tried running away, but the bouncers


    caught me before I could escape. They were literally blocking the way with their huge bodies, and it did


    not leave me much of a gap to squeeze through.


    One of them grabbed me by the waist while another caught my legs and ced me back on the stairs.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Harry snarled, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her. We do not want any injuries on her or that would lower her


    price.¡±


    What?


    My price?


    I struggled frantically, wing and kicking at the three men, but I was no match for them. They dragged


    me through the stairs, though they were careful not to injure me.


    ¡°You bitch!!¡± Harry swore and yanked my hair to stop me from struggling.


    ¡°You think you are all smart and cute with your acting, right? You are beyond dumb.¡± He opened the


    door and pushed me inside arge room before stepping in and closing the door behind him.


    Tears began forming in my eyes.


    ¡°Harry, please, what are you doing?¡±


    But he only showed me an evil smile and pointed his chin forward.


    ¡°Told you my friend is here to meet you. Go, greet him¡±


    But then, before I could utter a word, I heard a very animalistic growling from the far end of the


    room.


    There was little to no light in the room that was ss paneled and I could barely see anything due to


    the disco lights that shed asionally through the ss walls.


    It was too dark for me to take a good look, but there was indeed someone sitting on the couch.


    I looked forward through tear-streaked eyes as I saw a man sitting on a plush red colored couch. He


    was wearing all ck, covering him from head to toe. Even his face was hidden behind a mask.


    Something about him felt eerily familiar, but I could not put a finger on what exactly as the alcohol in my


    system made me feel fuzzy.


    His identity was hidden behind the shadows, and I could only make out his silhouette in the dim disco


    lights that kept shining on the ss walls every now and then.


    The room was made up of ss walls, but it was so high that not many would look up to notice what


    was going above. The ss walls were opaque and the red lights kept dancing through the gaps,


    illuminating the space a bit.


    The room was big and spacious and except us three, there was nobody else.


    ¡°I need my payment,¡± Harry demanded while rubbing his hand at the spot I had bitten him in.


    But then the man got up from the couch and in an instant was upon Harry. Harry¡¯s eyes went wide with


    terror as the man held him by the throat.


    I subconsciously stepped back as I saw the man almost strangle Harry with his bare hands. The


    strength he exuded was not something ordinary men could possess.


    He was definitely a werewolf.


    But what was a werewolf doing here? And what did he want with me?


    Harry seemed to have struck a deal with this man who offered him money to bring me here it seemed.


    It was all atrap. And now, I could only curse myself silently while thinking of ways to run away from this


    ce.


    Harry feebly tried to w at the man¡¯s hands in an effort to make him loosen his grip.


    ¡°But¡­I got¡­ the girl¡±


    He mumbled, and the man spoke in a very low voice.


    -Who


    gave you the right to hurt her?¡±


    I furrowed my eyes in confusion. Did this man not want to hurt me? But then why not meet me directly?


    Perhaps my father had finally sent someone to free me?


    A small ray of hope emerged in my mind and I had conflicted thoughts going on in my head.


    To get a better view of this person, I craned my neck a little but could not see anything clearly.


    His voice too felt familiar, but it somehow wasn¡¯t.


    While I racked my brains to recall who this must be, the man further tightened his grip on Harry¡¯s throat.


    ¡°I did not touch her she bit me¡­¡±


    Harry wailed and pped his hands like a petrified bird would p its wings. The man¡¯s eyes fell on his


    hand and he let go of Harry in an instant.


    Harry crumpled on the floor in a heap and let out a pained groan as he rocked from side to side,


    holding his knee in his hands. The man opened his jacket and threw a thick wad of notes on Harry.


    ¡°Now get out and don¡¯t show me your face again,¡± He snarled and kicked Harry in the abdomen.


    Harry let out another groan but grabbed the money, managed to get up and ran outside the door.


    And there I saw my chance. The door was falling shut, so I ran as fast as I could and bolted towards


    the door, but he grabbed me by the waist and plucked me off the floor.


    ¡°Not so soon, darling!¡± He said with a chuckle as he took a whiff of my hair, inhaling deeply.


    ¡°I have waited so long for you¡­¡±


    But his touch made my skin crawl, and it finally clicked who this guy was.


    He hade for me.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    I struggled frantically in his hold, and at some point, he let go of me.


    ¡°You¡­you why are you here?¡± I asked in a hoarse voice as I tried to crawl away from himn.


    The man chuckled as he squatted down on the floor. ¡°Do you remember me?¡±


    He asked, and I crawled back a few more inches.


    ¡°Oh,e on, baby girl, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of me.¡± He spoke as he began slowly taking off his


    gloves.


    I watched him in dread as he threw the gloves on the floor and then began rolling his sleeves up.


    ¡°Come on, is this how you greet an old friend? A dichard lover of yours? Show some love, baby girl¡±


    He said as I grit my teeth.


    ¡°You¡­.you are no friend of mine. You are the reason I was thrown out of my house¡±


    He clicked his tongue reproachfully and shook his head.


    ¡°No baby girl, it was you who messed up big time. I had to save myself first. But I promised myself that


    I woulde to save you and I did, right?¡±


    He asked, his dark eyes looking at me through the mask.


    ¡°Just go away¡± I tried to scream but my voice came out as a croak.


    ¡°Now you are hurting me. I went through all this to meet you and is this how you greet me?¡±


    He came forward and grabbed me by the chin.


    ¡°I am asking nicely. Let us start again, shall we?¡± His eyes gleamed malevolently through the mask and


    I tried in vain to get


    away.


    ¡°Who am I?¡± He asked and I grit my teeth.


    ¡°Sid,¡± I said in a disgusted voice, but he took off his mask and smiled at me.


    He came closer, and I saw that there was something different about him. He did not look as if he was in


    his right mind. His eyes were bloodshot and even his face looked a bit puffed up.


    ¡°Do you know how nice it feels to hear you take my name?¡±


    Sid asked as he looked at me with a lustful gaze.


    His hand left my chin as I scooted back further. But he only folded his legs on the floor and sat cross-


    legged in front of me, leaning forward.


    ¡°Well, well. Look at you. You have blossomed into a nice flower.¡±


    His eyes roamed over my body as I tried to cover myself with my hands and cross my legs. I was


    wearing a short dress, so it made it further difficult for me to cover myself.


    ¡°Come on, baby girl. Stop shying away from me. All of that..¡± He said, pointing a finger at me that went


    up and down in the air before continuing¡­all of that is for me¡­¡±


    I felt utterly disgusted and kept scooting backward before my back hit the ss wall.


    Sid too came crawling forward on all fours, making him look like a wild animal who kept smiling at me


    wickedly.


    Before I could get up, he ced a hand on the ss wall beside me and trapped me in his arms.


    ¡°Sid, what is this? What are you doing?¡± I asked as he grinned at me and took a whiff again.


    ¡°God, you smell delicious, baby girl. I can¡¯t wait to find out if you taste the same.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Stop calling me that.¡± I said in a disgusted voice, but he did not pay attention to my words.


    He raised his hands and traced a finger through a loose strand of hair before pushing it back.


    He took a long whiff and closed his eyes while inhaling, and I felt disgusted.


    ¡°You smell divine, just like before, though you appear well fed and cared for!¡± He noted and inched


    closer to my face.


    ¡°Did that bastard Lycan touch you?¡± He said as he took another whiff.


    I did not answer but turned around and banged on the wall, calling for help, but it was of no use.


    ¡°Scream and cry all you want. Nobody is going to hear you. It is just me and you.¡±


    110


    Sid said as I rammed my fists into the ss walls. I could see people dancing downstairs and having


    fun, but nobody looked up as they were in their own world.


    I turned back to him and pleaded, ¡°What do you want, Sid? You wanted to sell me and you got rid of


    me. Now, why are you here?¡±


    Sid chuckled as he clicked his tongue reproachfully.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Have you forgotten that we lived under the same roof for years? Is this how you greet your


    family?¡±


    He asked, but I grit my teeth. ¡°You are no family to me. You are nothing to me¡­..nothing.¡±


    But Sid shook his head, ¡°Wrong answer¡±


    He pulled out something from his pocket and showed it to me.


    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    He pulled out a small vial and an injection and began filling it.


    ¡°Sid, please. I am your sister.¡±


    Sid kept filling the injection with the liquid and threw the vial off when it was empty. The small ss vial


    rattled on the floor and crashed into small pieces.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to use this, you know. If you submit to me willingly, I will not use this on you. So, I am


    offering you a choice, sweetheart.¡±


    He said, while holding the injection in front of me.


    ¡°Wh-what is it?¡±


    Sid chuckled darkly as he leaned forward. ¡°A little medicine. It would make youpliant with my


    wishes. Turn you into an obedient girl.¡±


    My eyes went wide at that. ¡°You want to drug me?¡±


    Sid shook his head again. ¡°God, why do you have to be so blunt about it? I could have stuck that


    needle in your skin the moment you came in. But did 11 am still holding it in front of you, right? I am


    being nice and you are being rude.¡±


    Sid said as he threw me a hurt look. Was he out of his mind?


    ¡°I am your sister,¡± I repeated, wondering if he had forgotten that.


    ¡°Stop saying that. We are step siblings. And I have been fascinated with you for a long time. Mom


    would not let me have you and even you kept pushing me away, but I always wanted you, baby girl.¡±


    I could not believe my ears.


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    His eyes looked bloodshot, and he was staring at me with a malicious grin, his eyes overflowing with


    lust.


    ¡°Why do you think I let you run away while pretending to chase you in the forest? I was going to let you


    hide in that cave and order others to turn around and thene to get you back alone. I was also


    going to transport you to other safe location until the Lycan King arrived.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± I asked him in a bbergasted voice.


    Sid nodded his head. ¡°I wanted to tell you all of this and much more but you just did not give me the


    time. I had seen you eavesdropping on our conversation.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Sid added, and I only looked at him in shock.


    ¡°How¡­.how could you say that about me, Sid? You lied to my father¡­our father¡±


    But Sid shook his head and tried to silence me.


    ¡°Shh, you are not listening. I had to improvise on the spot. You know Mom hated you, but you also


    know that I love you, right? Why else do you think I went through all this trouble to get you here?¡±


    The more he spoke, the more my head was spinning. I could not process all of it, given my already


    exhausted mind and body.


    I desperately wanted my wolf to show up and kick him away, but I did not even have the strength to call


    onto her. Meanwhile, when I stayed quiet, he took that as an affirmation and continued.


    ¡°You know how much I love you and care for you, right? I was always willing to keep you with me. I


    always took the first step, but you kept pushing me away. But I knew one day you would realize what


    you were doing was wrong. And now, I know you have realized that.¡±


    I stared at him nkly.


    ¡°I have realized what?¡±


    Sid reached for another strand of my hair and pushed it away, but I tried not to shudder at his touch.


    He smiled and tucked it behind my ear before cupping my face.


    ¡°I figured when you would be forced to be the Lycan King¡¯s breeder you would understand how cruel


    this world is. Now you know that, right? I knew you would never want that cursed monster to touch you


    and from the moment you were taken, I was working day in and out to save you from him.¡±


    His words were too much for my brain to consume and process. I had always known that Sid was a


    creep, but whatever he was saying was very twisted. It made my head hurt all the more and my mind


    go nk again.


    I could not even form a coherent sentence to the utter nonsense he was spewing.


    ¡°I came to save you from him, baby girl. I made that stupid human work for me and instructed him to


    not hurt you? I knew you would never trust me. But I am telling you the truth. I want to rip your clothes


    so bad and fuck you, but I want you to remember how it felt to have me inside of you. I want you to


    moan my name. This injection will not let you remember that¡­it will dull your senses. So, listen to me,


    please. I am being nice and polite, right?¡±


    ¡°No, please Sid, you can¡¯t do that to me.¡± I begged, but he had a hurt look on his face.


    ¡°I want you to want me. Why is it so hard to understand?¡± Sid furrowed his eyebrows and his voice


    grew angrier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t look at you like that, Sid. How many times do I have to tell you?¡± I tried to put sense in him, but


    he was in no mood


    to listen.


    ¡°Oh,e on, sweetheart. I know you want to run away from that wretched, cursed lycan. He will die


    soon either way. I can help you be free of his clutches. But I have done a lot of work and you did not


    even kiss me yet. All you have to do is satisfy


    me.¡±


    He inched closer and pulled my face closer to his, bringing his lips closer to mine and making me want


    to puke.


    But I raised my hand at that and pulled a tight p across his face.


    ¡°Just shut


    up and go to hell,¡± I cried as my hand imprinted on his cheek while I was taking ragged breaths to calm


    my nerves. He took a moment to process that I had just hit him instead of thanking him for his so-called


    act of gratitude.


    Sid looked up at me angrily, his hand resting on his cheek that I had just pped.


    Sid coiled and uncoiled his fists and gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Looks like you are not going to listen to me the easy way. So be it. You leave me no choice. When I


    mark you, you are


    going to be mine either way¡±


    I thought of something and muttered hastily, ¡°B-but I am an omega and you are going to be an alpha,


    Sid. It will not suit your image.¡±


    Sid shook his head and replied, ¡°I can choose you as my mate, give you the respect. And in the worst


    case, if mom wants me to marry someone else just for the prosperity of the pack, I can keep you as my


    mistress. It is better than being a cursed Lycan¡¯s breeder, right?¡±


    He pulled a small cap off the injection¡¯s needle and the tip shone in the dim light casting through the


    walls.


    T


    ¡°No, please Sid, don¡¯t,¡± I begged him as he grabbed my arm and brought the injection near my arm. ¡°I


    am going to fuck you until you scream my name, baby girl. You are mine¡­just mine.¡±


    He was about to push the needle into my skin but then a voice rang out from the door, ¡°Nope, she is


    mine¡±

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    The door flew open, and I saw a dark, tall silhouette standing by the doorframe, the door lying at his


    feet and the hinges creaking horribly.


    ¡°Nope, she is mine.¡±


    That voice.


    I would recognize that voice anywhere.


    My Lycan King was here. He hade to save me.


    I was going to be safe. While I let out a sigh of relief, Sid looked around wildly and shouted.


    ¡°Bouncers, security, where are you?¡±


    Cahan stayed standing by the doorframe, leaning on it as Sid took an involuntary step back.


    Cahan did not pounce or even march forward, he just stayed casually leaning on the doorframe, one


    of his hands tucked in the pocket.


    Sid looked from me to him and threw a panicked gaze all around before mustering the courage to ask,


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    He asked, and the man stepped forward as the red light shone on his face.


    ¡°Remember me?¡± Cahan asked as he took one more step ahead and Sid¡¯s body went limp. All the


    confidence and courage he had been showing me evaporated into thin air as Cahan walked in as if


    this were a party.


    ¡°Cahan,¡± I cried and Sid nched visibly.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°K-King Cal-Cahan, wh-what are you doing here?¡± He asked, and Cahan smiled at him. But there


    was nothing warm about that smile.


    It was cold and deadly.


    ¡°Since when do you think that I am answerable to you¡± His voice was lighthearted, but there was an


    undercurrent of power to it, a firmness and authority that would make any other man standing in front of


    him pee his pants.


    Cahan came forward, and he only shot me a look. Our gazes met, and I did not need any further


    motivation.


    My legs automatically found the strength, and I ran towards him, bumping into his chest. I sobbed and


    cried as his hand snaked around my back, pulling me into his protective embrace.


    He let me sob and his hand slowly came to rest on my shoulders after patting me, his touch calming


    me down.


    ¡°Calm down. You are okay.¡±


    His voice, that was cold and unforgiving while speaking to Sid, suddenly sounded concerned and warm


    to me.


    Was he really worried about my well-being? How had he even found out that I was here?


    There were several questions raging in my mind, but my heart and my body did not want to let go of


    him.


    After that one night we spent together, he had suddenly be cold to me and did not want to even


    look at me.


    I had been yearning for one look from him, just one touch, and this was more than a touch.


    It was his embrace that made me feel safe, loved, and protected.


    I had glued myself to him and was wing at his shirt, wanting to pull him closer to me while sobbing


    hysterically.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. EVER. Do you understand that?¡±


    He asked me, pulling my face up and making me look in his eyes. His golden eyes were sparkling with


    concern and worry while I was crying my eyes out.


    I saw my reflection in his eyes, the way snot was running down my nose and my hair was askew.


    That made me take a pause and calm my nerves. Meanwhile, Cahan¡¯s hand gently continued to


    brush my back, relieving the tension that had been building up in my muscles.


    And then suddenly he pulled me close and ced a kiss on my forehead.


    That made my nerves go haywire all over again. Only my mom had ever kissed me like that when I was


    little whenever I was scared of something or afraid at nights.


    Tears stung at the back of my eyes that I tried not to show while looking down at the floor.


    ¡°I have to deal with that idiot, but it won¡¯t take long, alright?¡± His hand brushed my cheek, wiping the


    tears off my face as sobbed


    10.53


    Sitting on the couch, he took off his coat and draped me in it. While Cahan was trying to calm me


    down, Sid noticed that the exit was open and tried to slink away.


    He was slowly tiptoeing out of the room and had almost reached the door when Cahan got up and


    was in front of him in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°What is that thing in your hand?¡± Cahan asked, and Sid looked up at the injection stupidly.


    He immediately pulled his hands down after realizing that he had been holding it up in the air all this


    time.


    ¡°No-nothing, King¡± He gulped nervously and put his hand behind his back. Meanwhile, Cahan slowly


    guided me towards the couch and gently helped me sit on it.


    Cahan smiled at him and Sid fumbled, ¡°you.. I was just¡­¡±


    He began, but could not get words out of his mouth. He tried speaking, but Cahan reached for his


    neck and closed his hands around it in a second.


    The next second, Sid was scrambling as Cahan held him by the neck, his feet dangling in the air as


    he gasped for air and cried for mercy.


    ¡°Shh, stop whining or I will choke you in an instant,¡± Cahan said and like an obedient kid, Sid


    immediately went limp.


    He stopped struggling while he looked at me.


    ¡°Zen-Zenovia, please help. The King has some misunderstanding¡­.


    At that, Cahan let out a growl and threw him on the wall. Sid went flying through a few feet and


    landed on the exact ss wall I had been banging my fists against, hoping that somebody would notice


    me.


    Sid scrunched on the floor and crumpled like a heap,s bones cracking and his joints creaking as


    Cahan thundered.


    ¡°How dare you try talking to her?¡±


    Sid coughed and wheezed as he rolled on the floor, holding his knees close to his stomach and rocking


    himself from side to side as if that would give him some relief.


    ¡°K-King, I¡­I found her here. I came to save her.¡± Sid breathed and Cahan took fourrge strides and


    was in front of Sid in the next instant.


    ¡°You fucking liar¡­¡± The Lycan King was shaking in fury and Sid had a petrified look on his face.


    ¡°N-no, please King. Believe me, Lonly came here because I was forced to do so.¡±


    Cahan squatted down and Sid put his hands up on this face, shielding himself against Cahan in a


    desperate attempt.


    ¡°Start talking,¡± Cahan ordered and Sid began to shake wildly.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Cahan was staring daggers at Sid, who was twitching uncontrobly on the floor. This was the same


    person I had stayed with in a family, the same person who had told my father how I was the one to


    have made sexual advances on him¡­.and the same person who just a few minutes ago was


    professing his love..or rather lust for me.


    I pulled the coat even closer to myself as Sid began trying to answer Cahan¡¯s questions.


    ¡°The the rogues. they asked me to¡­they wanted to it was them¡± Sid tried to speak but words would not


    come out because he was shaking in fear.


    ¡°What rogues? What do they want from Zenovia?¡± The Lycan King thundered and Sid slowly took a


    peek from his hands, afraid that a punch would hit him square in the nose.


    When Cahan did not throw a punch immediately, Sid lowered his hand.


    ¡°The¡­the rogue King, there are rumors of a rogue King who wants to take you down, K-King¡±


    Cahan smirked. ¡°Take me down?¡±


    The sheer tone with which he uttered that question spoke volumes about his self-confidence. He could


    not believe someone could try that and found it absurd.


    Was he proud of himself and his strength? Yes.


    But was he an arrogant prick? Not really.


    Well, I could say that the answer could switch to a ¡°maybe¡± when I recalled the cold shoulder he had


    been giving metely.


    Sid nodded his head, ¡°Y-yes, my King II was merely working on orders because I know Zenovia and


    she lived with my family.¡±


    Cahan grabbed Sid¡¯s cor and pulled him up as Sid let out a muffled scream because Cahan¡¯s


    eyes were boring down into his own.


    ¡°You take orders from me, not from anybody else. Are you forgetting who rules this ce?¡±


    Sid kept shaking and trembling while trying to form a coherent response.


    ¡°I am s-sorry, King¡±


    The King could have killed him in an instant, but something about the rogue King made him control his


    rage.


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    Sid was trembling like a leaf caught in a storm, shaking from head to toe.


    ¡°I do not know the name yet, my King. I have not seen him or met him directly. I simply received a


    message from someone one day.¡±


    ¡°What message?¡± Cahan¡¯s tone was sharp, and it made even me flinch, though it was not directed at


    me.


    ¡°L..there were just proofs of money I had used on myself, partying and such from the pack¡¯s treasury in


    thest week. The message asked me to do the task or forward those proofs to father.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Cahan raised an eyebrow


    ¡°How much amount was it? I don¡¯t believe you fell for someone¡¯s trap just for the sake of a few dors.¡±


    But I knew Sid and his extravagant habits. It would definitely not be just a few dors.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to ask the same question twice,¡± Cahan growled and Sid answered, ¡°F-five!¡±


    ¡°Five thousand dors? That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Five million,¡± I blurted out, and I was proven correct by the silence as Sid did not look up.


    ¡°Five million? You spent five million in a week?¡±


    Sid tried to reason. ¡°I¡­well, I am the future alpha of the pack and it was my friends who forced me.¡±


    Cahan could only shake his head. ¡°The more 1 hear you, the more I see a case of a pampered,


    spoiled child not a fearsome monster. You are pathetic.¡±


    Cahan let go of Sid¡¯s cor and ran a hand through his hair.


    ¡°So somebody ckmailed you and you were ordered to bring Zenovia here?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. But I knew she would never willinglye here to meet me.¡±


    10:54


    Cahan finished the line for him, ¡°¡­so you decided to hire a cheap sales guy to do your bidding¡±


    Sid raised his hands and put them together as if he was praying to the moon Goddess.


    ¡°I was afraid my family would get hurt, King.¡±


    Cahan thundered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Zenovia your family? Is she not your sister?¡±


    And at that line, I looked up at him.


    Sid had just now said that he wanted to take advantage of me. He would never agree to call me sister.


    I could feel it in my gut that he would dodge the question.


    Sid stayed silent as Cahan raised his hands and pped him hard when there was no response.


    And I was not sure if I should have felt happy that I was correct or horrified that my spineless


    stepbrother did not look at me like a sister.


    I pulled the coat closer to my body and watched their exchange.


    I had been sitting on the couch, rubbing my hands together as I tried to process just what had urred


    in thest two hours.


    I had almost been sold and taken advantage of by two different men, one I had recently met and one I


    had looked at as a brother all my life.


    Unexpectedly, the one my family had sold me to, the one who was called a monster and was the one


    who should have taken¡± advantage of me, forced himself upon me the moment he set eyes on me¡­


    that man had turned into my savior.


    I did not know whether tough or cry at my current situation.


    Sid stole a nce at me and Cahan pped him, ¡°Look at mel!¡±


    Sid was almost on the verge of tears as he answered, ¡°she, we are step siblings, we are not


    biologically rted.¡±


    Cahan grit his teeth and his nails dug into the cor of Sid¡¯s shirt, making his neck bol up and down


    limply.


    ¡°Siblings, that is what you are,¡± He corrected and Sid did not dare to voice out any objection if he had.


    In my opinion, I did not want him as a brother or anything. Sid was a stranger to me, just like Luna


    Celeste and my father, both of who had abandoned me.


    I had no family, no loved ones anymore,


    The injection had fallen from Sid¡¯s hand at one point and Cahan slowly got up from the floor and


    walked towards the injection.


    Sid began to crouch away, using his hands and legs to push himself back until his back hit the cold


    ss wall.


    ¡°Now listen to me, you little rat. I would have killed you, but you are no use to me dead. Now, you are


    going to turn into my informant and find out what the rogue King wants from me, from Zenovia and


    inform me. If you fail to do so. Lain going to inject you with medicines that would amplify the pain


    instead of dulling you to sleep so that even a gentle breeze brushing your hand would feel like a knife


    slicing through your skin.¡±


    Sid had begun to cry and had joined his hands together.


    ¡°I am sorry, my King. Please have mercy on me. B-but the rogue King is dangerous. He will kill me if I


    don¡¯t show up with Zenovia.¡±


    Cahan twirled the injection in his hand. ¡°You better fear me, and what would I do to you if you don¡¯t


    obey? And this rogue King of yours, he is a werewolf, a puny little dog in front of me. Do you really


    think you have any chances of betraying me?¡±


    Sid had broken out into a sweat and was cowering while pleading for mercy.


    ¡°N-no my King. II understand b-but please¡­please don¡¯t hurt me¡±


    ¡°I will hurt you in ways you cannot even imagine if you even think of Zenovia again. Is that


    understood?¡±

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    The way Cahan said those words made me shudder. Had he said that only because he was angry, or


    had he really meant.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    it?


    Did he truly care for me, or was simply trying to threaten Sid into giving him more information?


    I had no idea, but I felt certain that I had heard his voice crack and his eyes had shone with worry upon


    seeing me stered on the wall. I had definitely not imagined the relief that had escaped his body


    when I snuggled into his embrace.


    But then why had he be so cold to me all of a sudden?


    ¡°P-please. King. I¡­I will do as you say,¡± Sid was begging to Cahan, but Cahan was the least


    bothered.


    He only came near me and looked me in the eye.


    ¡°I want you to trust me on this, okay?¡±


    I blinked in confusion. ¡°On what?¡±


    But before I could ask him further, he gently pulled me up from the couch and brought me near Sid. I


    recoiled when Sid¡¯s hand fell on my feet, or more like Cahan grabbed Sid¡¯s cor and dragged him


    towards me.


    ¡°She is the one you have to apologize to,¡± Cahan muttered, and Sid looked up at me with pleading


    eyes.


    ¡°Please Zenovia, we lived together. You know how much I cared for you.¡±


    But Cahan¡¯s confidence was infectious. He stood beside me firmly and I felt like he was radiating his


    confidence and charisma, some of which seeped into my body.


    It was as if I suddenly found my voice that was shaken.


    ¡°Is that why you sold me? Telling father that I was the one forcing myself on you?¡±


    Sid¡¯s eyes went wide, but he was not the only one who had this reaction. Cahan was staring at me in


    disbelief.


    Meanwhile, Sid only managed to croak, ¡°I told you Mom wanted you out of the way. I could not say no


    to her. She wanted to sell you to the highest bidder at another auction, but I took Lycan King¡¯s name


    before she could send you to a ce I could not rescue you from.¡±


    ¡°Rescue me from?¡± I asked, and Sid took a breath of relief. d that Cahan had not twisted his spine


    yet.


    Sid tried getting up on his feet, but Cahan merely pushed him back, making him fall on his knees.


    He did not try getting up, but stayed on the ground while trying to beg for his life.


    ¡°Yes, from the Lycan King. I have to show the rogue King that I brought you.¡±


    Cahan clenched his fists. ¡°So you wanted to ¡®rescue¡¯ her from me and throw her at this self-


    proimed rogue king?¡±


    Sid shook his head wildly.


    ¡°N-no. I was going to inform him that I met her, but she is not strong or fit enough to be of any use to


    him and make him drop her topic.¡±


    His gaze then flicked towards me. ¡°But I wanted to speak to you first and clear our past confusion.¡±


    A sliver of doubt entered my


    mind


    ¡°And how were you so s sure that he would believe you?¡± I asked pointedly, folding my hands on my


    chest.


    ¡°He is not strong enough to attack the mansion and take you all by himself. So, his best bet was me,


    someone who has lived with you for a long time. I would make him believe me.¡±


    Sid gulped and I could see the cogs of his brain whirring as he came up with one crazy exnation


    after another.


    ¡°So, you wanted to save your sister and put the King at risk, I see, Cahan added, and Sid¡¯s face


    drained of all its color.


    Before I could speak, Cahan snarled, ¡°Is that what you were trying to do with the injection?¡±


    Cahan took the injection in his hand and studied it, the tip of the needle gleaming in the dim light.


    ¡°Ile wanted to make mepliant to his wishes,¡± I replied instead of Sid, who hastily added,


    ¡°..I told you I was going to take you to the ce I was supposed to deliver you to and then bring you


    back here.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? By trying to force yourself upon her?¡± Cahan asked, and he pointed the injection at Sid¡¯s


    face.


    ¡°P-please King, I was not thinking straight. I thought if I marked her, I would have the first im to her,


    not the fogue King But I really wanted to save Zenovia.¡±


    ¡°She is your sister, for fuck¡¯s sake. How can you even think of marking her?¡±


    Cahan growled and his voice rumbled with a force that made the windows tremble, but I noticed how


    Sid did not say a word yet again to that line.


    Was he really out of his mind? I knew he was a Casanova and slept with almost every girl that would


    ever allow him, so I was not sure what could be the reason for his fascination with me.


    ¡°What is in this injection?¡± Cahan asked, and Sid put his hands in front of his chest in an effort to


    shield himself from the Lycan King.


    His fearful expressions made Cahan smirk,


    ¡°Oh, I am not going to hurt you for your error. But I like to y fair and it is only fair that you lie here on


    the floor like a dirty rag, passed out and with the medicine in your stream as I take her back home.


    Have fun exining to your rogue King how a wolfless girl escaped your clutches.¡±


    ¡°N-no, my King That..that medicine is dangerous. Please don¡¯t¡±


    Cahan smirked, ¡°Dangerous? How? I thought it made youpliant and dulled your senses.¡±


    Sid shook his head wildly. ¡°No, it makes your brain go fuzzy. It¡­it makes you enter a state of bliss in


    which you have no control over your body or actions.¡±


    ¡°Even better¡±


    Saying so, Cahan pulled Sid¡¯s cor down and stuck the injection in his neck as Sid cried and


    thrashed against his hold futilely.


    ¡°That should serve as a lesson for lying to me and trying to hurt Zenovia. I would have killed you, but I


    need you as my puppet, so live as long as I let you. Your days are numbered either way.¡±


    Cahan threw the empty syringe away and looked at me. ¡°Shall we go home?¡±


    I was shuddering and got up instantly and ran towards him again. However, my knees wobbled as I felt


    the horror of what would have happened to me had Cahan not arrived in time.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I replied and the next second I was plucked off the ground and was in the arms of my


    savior.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Zenovia


    Cahan carried me down the stairs and the anxiety that had been rampaging my body disappeared,


    leaving exhaustion behind.


    His shoes fell softly on the carpeted stairs as he walked downstairs, carrying me bridal style. 1 buried


    my face in his embrace as he climbed down the stairs and turned around.


    The party was still going on, and I believe nobody knew what had transpired upstairs. Maybe that is


    what he wanted to be the case. I looked back to see Sid twitch on the ground, his eyes staring at me


    but being unable to move.


    I tore my gaze away from him and looked forward.


    Instead of walking out the front door, Cahan carried me out through the back door bridal style and


    asked me to reach for the car keys in his pant pocket.


    I did as instructed and my hands found the key. My check brushed against his jaw when I did that and I


    tried not to shiver due to that.


    Up close, he looked even more delicious, more tantalizing. The light stubble on his jawline was too


    enticing. My brain began to imagine how it would feel to roam my fingers on it. Maybe not just fingers,


    but my mouth could¡­.


    I blinked furiously and looked down at the key in my hand and pressed it twice. His car was parked in


    the back, near garbage bags stacked upon one another by a moss eaten wall and a huge


    compound that served as an extra wall dividing the huge ce into sections.


    Cahan climbed down the small flight of stairs and slowly opened the door while cing me on the car


    seat


    He ensured that I was seatedfortably and walked to the other side of the car before getting in it.


    Taking the key from me, he turned the ignition on and steered the car in the direction of the road.


    The drive back home was silent, awkwardly silent and tense. He had been talking to me, caressing me


    back in the club, but now he was back to ignoring me.


    I stole a nce at Cahan as he kept his hands firmly nted on the steering wheel, looking straight


    ahead.


    His body posture conveyed that he was unhappy and angry. But he did not say a word.


    Compared tost time, he was driving much slowly and as I looked outside. I saw that it was still dark.


    The moon was shining through the tree branches that passed by as the car drove down the road.


    I fidgeted with my fingers, not knowing what to say and where to begin. The veins in his throat were


    corded and so were those in his hands, as if he was trying hard not to explode.


    I knew he would definitely scold me for slipping out of the mansion without informing but there was


    nothing I could do to change the past.


    I noticed his arm and saw a few scratches on it under his sleeve.


    ¡°You are hurt.¡± I said, but Cahan did not react. A muscle in his jaw ticked, barely, but he quickly


    pulled down his sleeve and hid itpletely.


    I could not take the silence anymore and said in a meek voice, ¡°You can shout. No need to hold it back


    in.¡±


    Cahan cranked the ignition the moment I said that, and the car¡¯s speed suddenly increased. I bit my


    lip nervously as he hit the elerator and the car was almost flying instead of being driven on the


    deserted road.


    I only looked at him in shock as he drove through the road, but instead of taking me home, we crossed


    it and he kept driving further ahead.


    I looked back in confusion and then at him again as the familiar scene of the mansion¡¯s huge, gated


    walls passed by. ¡°But, but we just passed by the mansion¡±


    I said, but Cahan cranked up the ignition by another notch and my heartbeat began to thud wildly.


    He was gritting his teeth, his body shaking with rage as he took it out all on the car. I did not ask him for


    help and this time


    a series ofnes before the tires screeched to a halt.


    managed to loop in the seatbelt quickly as he drove


    I looked at him and he threw his head back, his eyes closed, as he took in a few breaths to calm


    himself down,


    I only stared at him worriedly when he stepped out of the car and mmed the door, hard. I brought my


    hands up on my cars to drown the noise but the car jolted, almost rising from one side and shaking


    before the tires settled on the ground again, rattling me inside it like a trapped bunny.


    The tension was palpable in the way he put his hands in the pockets and went to stand a bit farther


    away. His back was facing me and I could see him taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.


    I felt all of it was my fault.


    And him not saying even a word to me was making it worse.


    I took a few deep breaths to find my courage and slowly opened the door while stepping outside. The


    night air was a bit chilly, and I was d to have his coat around me.


    I looked around to see that he had brought us near someke. The moon and stars were twinkling in


    the night sky, while the water held its soft reflection, making it look peaceful and serene.


    There were a few trees and bushes around, and the ce looked both beautiful and eerie at the same


    time.


    Or maybe it was my mind that was ying tricks on me.


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    When I could not stand his silence anymore, I went to stand in front of him and asked,


    ¡°Please, your silence is killing me. Will you please speak?¡±


    He was looking down, a hard and unreadable expression on his face.


    Cahan looked up at me, and his golden eyes felt like they were on fire. His gaze was hot and


    intense.


    I subconsciously took a step back when I saw his hypnotic eyes stare deep into my eyes and my very


    soul.


    A muscle in his jaw twitched as he tried to find the best response to my question.


    ¡°Will it make any difference?¡± He finally asked, throwing me a question.


    ¡°Yes, it will. I know you are angry, hurt even. So, yell all you want¡±


    ¡°What do you think of me? Let me know what your mental image of me is,¡± Chan asked instead of


    yelling. And the way he was looking at me made me shiver in a not so fearful way.


    Maybe, I had really lost it.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Zenovia


    ¡°What everybody else does. You are a ruthless Lycan King.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    He straightened his back. ¡°And¡­and you rule the kingdom and everybody is your subject.¡±


    ¡°Why did you try to run away from me?¡±


    Another question. This was getting awkward.


    ¡°I just wanted to have my freedom¡± I answered, mustering some courage that I did not believe I had.


    ¡°So, have I chained you? Are you imprisoned?¡± Cahan demanded and I could feel the way he was


    trying really hard to keep his anger at bay.


    ¡°Ino¡­but¡­¡­you¡­.I don¡¯t know¡± I finishedmely and I could feel the helplessness in his eyes.


    ¡°So


    you thought a random stranger would offer you money, and promise you to take you somewhere and


    you blindly believed him? What are you? Four?¡±


    I widened my eyes at that. He had been busy with the shop owner and the flock of girls talking to him.


    When did he see Harry slipping me the money?


    ¡°You know?¡±


    Cahan gave a mirthless chuckle and raised his hands in the air before they fell limply by his sides,


    smacking his thighs.


    ¡°Do I know? Of course, I do. What do you think I am? A stupid fool? That guy was trapping you and you


    fell for his trap like


    an idiot.¡±


    I felt hurt by his usations but I could not argue much because it was true.


    ¡°I know and I am sorry. I just wasn¡¯t thinking¡±


    Cahan nodded his head. ¡°I bet you weren¡¯t. So tell me what made you wish to do that? You have


    been living with me for almost a month, you had all the chances to run away so why now?¡±


    ¡°You are not my family. I just wanted to go to the human world and blend with them.¡±


    Cahan came closer, his tall frame towering over me and looked down at me.


    ¡°That is not the answer to my question.¡±


    I gulped, ¡°I. I was sold to you as a breeder or a ve or whatever. I did not want to live my life like that.¡±


    A muscle in his jaw ticked and I saw the way the air left his nostrils that red in irritation.


    ¡°Did I ever treat you like that?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°No, you did not but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± He bellowed.


    I took a deep breath to calm my nerves but it was not working. He inched even closer and the urge to


    lean into him was maddening.


    I could not function with him so close to me. Arguing with him while he was so close was a mammoth


    task.


    And I had had too many drinks to hold a straight conversation for long.


    His


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    eyes


    bor¨¦ into me as if they had the ability to look at my soul and find out all my secrets.


    ¡°Look, I know I made a mistake and Lam sorry.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any fucking idea what would have happened if I was a secondte? That injection¡­he


    would have..he¡­¡± Cahan could not even finish the line and it made me feel horribly guilty at my


    stupidity all over again.


    ¡°You fucking asked me or I should say ¡®begged me to touch you when you were in heat. And now you


    want to run away from me?¡±


    He coiled his hands into fists and mmed them on the car¡¯s bo, making me squeeze my eyes


    shut.


    His breathing was ragged and the hair had fallen on his face, partially covering the golden eyes that


    looked incredibly hurt and pained.


    Cahan was close to me, too close and his intoxicating scent was filling every fiber of my soul.


    His full lips were slightly parted and I had the mad urge to lean in and capture them in my lips again.


    I had to step away from him before I did something stupid. So I tried to move away from him but his


    hands trapped me in a


    cage.


    ¡°You are not going anywhere before you answer me¡±


    The way a nerve jumped in his throat was making me feel incredibly nervous. Could I lick that nerve


    and possibly trail my tongue down all the way towards his chest?


    I blinked and shook the thought away.


    ¡°Answer me!!¡± His voice rose just a little and I blurted out without thinking-


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t think you want me and I did not want to see you with Cynthia for the rest of my life.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s eyes went wide at that and I put a hand on my mouth but it was toote. The words carrying


    my deepest fear had already left my mouth.


    All I could do now was own them.


    ¡°You did not think I wanted you¡­¡± Cahan repeated with a nk stare but it felt more like a question.


    I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to leak from my eyes. I did not want to give him the


    satisfaction of knowing how it hurt me to see him with someone else, how much I yearned for him,


    craved his touch.


    I was a breeder, a loser, and a failed shifter. Not even an alpha would want me, forget about the


    supremely handsome lycan. king. I had to keep reminding myself of that but it still hurt nheless.


    A lump formed in my throat that I swallowed while answering. ¡°I went in heat and I begged you to mark


    me, pleaded with you to touch me but you were always in control, you just did the task as if you were


    used to it, just like your files that you read one after the other. I don¡¯t want to be a file.¡±


    I mentally pped myself.


    What the hell was I bbering? Did my words even make any sense?


    Maybe the drinks were spiking my emotions, making me blurt stupidly.


    And as I began to cry in front of the lycan King, he merely kept looking at me, his hands still firmly


    nted on the car¡¯s bo


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Cahan asked.


    Now that I had made a fool of myself, why should I even hold back? It was better to empty my heart out


    before he discarded me for good.


    At least, I would know that I had said everything I wanted to and not regret having held my tongue back


    for the rest of my


    life.


    ¡°What else should I think? You¡­you sated my desire because I begged you to, not because you


    wanted me. And and after that, you just began ignoring mepletely. You did not even look at me


    once or talk to me. Then, I saw the messages you exchanged with Cynthia¡­I saw the way she was


    dancing with you in the club, seducing you¡­and¡­and you were letting her.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s expression changed at that. But instead of surprise, I saw a smirk.


    A smirk that made my knees go weak and my heart race at the same time.


    Why did he have such an effect on me?


    ¡°So you were jealous of her? Jealous of how she got to seduce me?¡±


    I gulped nervously as he stood straight and took a step forward. He was towering over me, his face


    bent low as he kept looking me in the eye.


    ¡°L..that is not what I meant


    I said and tried to look away but his hands found mine and he grabbed my wrists to hold me in ce.


    A sudden bolt of electricity zapped through me at the touch, and my stomach turned into a jumbled


    tangle of heat¡­.heat that was pooling down there.


    ¡°You can do that right here if you want, nobody is here either way.¡±


    Huh?


    I blinked and looked up at Cahan who lowered his head to whisper in my ears.


    ¡°Seduce me¡±

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    My eyes grew as big as saucers and I felt every muscle in my body tense. His face was barely inches


    away from mine and his breath tickled my ear.


    His lips brushed my earlobe, barely, and the light caress made me gasp. His touch was doing odd


    things to me and I was not even in heat.


    The Lycan King did not pull back instantly but stayed where he was, impossibly close to me. All I had to


    do was just turn my head to the left to kiss those lickable lips.


    But the way he was asking me to seduce him did not sit well with me. I was not Cynthia, and I could not


    do cheap tricks to make him want me.


    I could not lower myself to that.


    So, despite my urge to lean forward and pull him into my embrace, I curled my hands into fists to stop


    myself from shaking.


    ¡°The drinks are messing with my brain. I know you don¡¯t want me and I will not allow you to toy with my


    feelings even if you are the Lycan King.¡±


    I said it all in one go; the words tumbling out of my mouth faster than I intended to. Cahan tensed


    and I saw the way his muscles corded beneath that silky fabric.


    The topmost button of his shirt was open, giving me a rather delicious view of his broad, chiseled chest.


    ¡°Did you just say that you have feelings for me?¡±


    He asked, and I blinked in confusion.


    Had I said that?


    ¡°N-no, I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡±


    Cahan¡¯s eyes glinted mischievously as he asked. ¡°Then what way did you mean it?¡±


    Ok, this was getting frustrating. My body was aching to pull him close, but the way he was teasing me


    as if he could read me


    an open book was so annoying.


    Again, I tried to step away, but now he ced his legs on either side of me as well. I literally had


    nowhere to go.


    And his breathing was getting ragged by the minute.


    ¡°Forget it. I am not going to seduce you.¡±


    I answered, and he finally moved his head to look me in the eye.


    A storm was raging in his eyes, and I felt trapped in his gaze.


    Why not?¡± He asked, and I heard the strain in his voice.


    ¡°Because I am not Cynthia¡± I forced those words out of my mouth and was quite happy with myself with


    the way my voice did not crack.


    But the answer only made that damn smirk return on his face.


    Oh for the love of Moon Goddess, why did you not give me enough strength to be immune to that face,


    that perfectly sculpted specimen of a man who was asking me to seduce him?


    Was this just a game to him? Was he trying to invoke my jealousy? What for?


    ¡°Of course you are not or I wouldn¡¯t be here, right?¡± He asked, breaking the tension hanging between


    us like a coiled wire.


    And before I could ask what he meant by that, one of his hand snaked around my waist and another


    cupped my chin.


    I barely managed to suck in a breath when his lips came down on mine, hard.


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    And the world around me melted. I let out a gasp as his lips kissed me, as if he alone had the right to


    do that to me.


    It would not be wrong to say that I felt that, too. My body reacted faster to his touch than my mind, that


    was ring warning signals to pull away.


    But my body won in the end.


    I had been craving for his touch ever since thest time he had sated my heat and I grew hungrier as


    he kept kissing me.


    His full lips sucked mine and his tongue traced my lips¡¯ outline while I tried not to dissolve in a heap of


    bones and muscle. Cahan¡¯s kiss was fiery, electric, and it sent ripples of shockwaves through me,


    making me want more of him.


    This is what I wanted, needed, dreamt of


    His rough hands were roaming over my back and one of his hands traveled up to reach my hair while


    his eyes fluttered shut,


    I heard the sharp intake of his breath as he inhaled the scent and made a low, guttural sound.


    ¡°Your hair¡­¡± He mumbled against my mouth as his tongue won against mine in no time.


    I could never get enough of him, enough of what his touch did to me.


    His lips suckled mine and he caught my lower lip in between his, making me moan. His hands kept


    ying with my hair as he pushed my head closer and ced his forehead on mine.


    We both were just kissing, but I was already panting for breath, which he seemed to have noticed.


    Letting go of my lips, he opened his eyes and looked at me. Those golden orbs were nothing short of


    balls of fire, igniting heat from my core and sending it to every single nerve of my body, making me


    tingle.


    ¡°God, Zee,¡± He whispered, and I heard his voice crack with a raw emotion or maybe I had simply


    imagined it.


    The way he said my name made my heart flutter wildly. His voice was deep and enigmatic and the way


    my name sounded in his voice made me want to hear him say it again and again as he kissed me.


    ¡°Say that again.¡± I blurted out, and his voice was barely a whisper.


    ¡°Say what?¡±


    ¡°My name, say it again, please,¡± I begged, my hands reaching for his shirt and fisting with the fabric to


    pull him close.


    ¡°Zee, you are gorgeous¡±


    He said, and I felt myself trembling, my eyes tearing up at the way his voice sounded. Nobody had


    called me gorgeous. before, except my mother maybe, but they are expected to call you that.


    ¡°Really? I blurted out. I was sure he had seen and danced with plenty of beautiful girls in his life. I could


    not even begin to imagine him saying that to me.


    ¡°Did you even look at yourself when you wore that dress?¡± He asked, and I saw the way his gaze left


    my eyes to travel downwards.


    I was mesmerized as his eyes slowly traveled down my small frame, and taking their own sweet time to


    return to meet my


    gaze.


    But that was fine because it gave me some seconds to calm my raging heart that threatened to jump


    out of my mouth. ¡°I just wore it on a whim but it fits me perfectly, I muttered and his eyes darkened.


    Cahan¡¯s hand stayed on my waist, holding me in ce as he muttered, ¡°Of course it would. I was the


    one to hand pick those dresses.¡±

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Zenovia


    My eyes widened at that.


    ¡°You-you went to the store to buy those dresses in


    my


    wardrobe?¡±


    A slow smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Every single one of them. I know your measurements perfectly well,


    Zee.¡± The way he said that line made me shiver with delight as a wave of pleasure washed over me.


    Wait.


    My wardrobe was not just stacked with dresses, but lingerie as well. A few pieces were quite bold and


    sexy.


    Did he truly mean it when he said he knew my measurements? But how?


    His gaze stayed just for a second longer on the cleavage that was now visible because my dress had


    slipped down a little while we were passionately kissing.


    I heard a low growl leave his lips as he forced himself to look up my face instead of my plunging


    neckline and added, ¡°I want to see my mark on you.¡±


    ¡°Only if you kiss me,¡± I blurted out without thinking.


    Why had I said that? Had Harry spiked my drinks with something?


    Cahan smiled, and I leaned forward to capture his lips while my eyes fluttered shut. I waited for his


    full lips to crash on mine wantonly.


    I had no idea what I was doing or what he would think of me, but I was just letting my emotions take


    control.


    I felt his hands snake down my waist, reaching down my thighs to pluck me off the ground as if I


    weighed nothing. Probably, my weight was nothing to him in reality.


    His fingers brushed the bare skin of my thigh as they gripped me and then I was in the air, locked in his


    embrace. The little spark his touch ignited just on the hem of my dress simply added fuel to the fire.


    Earlier, I had just been aching to touch him, to feel his lips on my skin. But now, my body was growing


    greedy.


    It wanted more of him, more of this.


    His eyes bore into mine as his hands stayed firmly on my thighs so as to not let me fall. But the way his


    fingers felt strained against my skin told me he was controlling his desire to simply rip away the dress.


    At that thought, my nipples hardened. And it was given considering how my chest was pressed onto his


    own, leaving not an inch of gap for air to squeeze through.


    I felt hot and bothered at the same time as my hands crawled up his back and I locked them behind his


    neck.


    Take my name,¡± I asked in a raspy breath, and he replied without missing a beat.


    ¡°Say please¡±


    ¡°Pleaseeeeeeeeeee,¡± I said almost instantly, and he spoke softly.


    ¡°Zee_¡±


    It felt like music to my ears, ¡°Keep saying that please.¡±


    I begged again and his eyes darkened, ¡°Only if that allows me to see my mark¡±


    Allow?


    I was dangling in the air, my dress askew and my legs wrapped around his waist. My entire body was


    quivering in need and he was asking if I would allow him?


    Hell, I wanted him to bury himself inside me and never let me go. That was all I could think of


    ¡°You¡­you don¡¯t need my permission,¡± I breathed as his hand left my thigh and slowly traveled up to


    squeeze my butt. Thought so,¡± He said, his eyes glinting with pure desire as his hand went up my hair


    to hold my head in ce.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    And I let out a moan that sounded so desperate to my ears that it made my cheeks turn red.


    But before I could collect myself, his other hand slowly reached for the hem of my dress and began


    pulling it up.


    The cool air but my skin when he rolled the fabric up and I shivered in delight. The dress kept riding up


    as he took his time gathering it up and bringing it up. His fingers caressed my skin, sending delicate


    shivers every time he touched me, igniting sparks wherever his hand touched me.


    This was maddening.


    Why the hell was he being so slow? My body wanted his mouth on me already so I subconsciously


    pushed myself upon him, jumping up a little while still in his arms.


    Cahan cursed under his breath when I shoved my chest in his face, his lips brushing my nipples that


    were as hard as peaks beneath the satiny fabric.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± He growled and his hands forgot to be slow and grew frantic. They were roaming over my dress


    and I could still feel his hands through the flimsy fabric while I whimpered at every touch that left a


    spark dancing on my skin.


    And then without any warning, his hands turned me around and I found myself mmed against


    something cool.


    The air suddenly felt chilly as I was ced on the car¡¯s hood, face down as Cahan lowered me.


    He angled me so as to make my upper bodyy on the hood while my feet dangled on the edge.


    ¡°God, kill me.¡± He groaned as his hands reached mine to pull them to the side from under my chest.


    My cheek stung due to the cold surface of the car¡¯s hood, but my entire body was on fire. His hands


    reached for my waist and I heard his frustrated groan when the dress got down a little again.


    He waited for a split second to see if I would fight back or if I disagreed to it. But when he saw me lying


    on the car¡¯s hood without trying to push him away, he took that as permission enough.


    Gathering the dress, he pulled it all the way up and let it stay in a crumpled heap on my back.


    My ass was exposed to him and except for my panties, I was naked from the waist down.


    I was not very plump nor did I have a curvy figure. I had only started gaining some weight since I


    moved in here because Maria would keep feeding me as if that was her sole purpose in life.


    I badly wanted to see his face, his expressions, but I feared I would be disappointed if he did not like


    what he saw.


    ¡°Never knew a dress could be so annoying.¡± He mumbled and I giggled at his frustration.


    However, that only made him press his hand on my bare waist and he whispered, ¡°I am taking these


    off¡±


    His fingers brushed over my panties as he waited to see my reaction.


    I nodded eagerly and the next second, Cahan¡¯s fingers slipped under the fabric and he yanked at it,


    tearing it off in a second.


    Now I waspletely naked waist down and I felt the cool airt my skin, my entrance.


    I heard an audible groan leave his lips when he saw his mark and I felt him lower his head to take a


    closer look.


    ¡°Fuck¡± His voice sounded raspy and my heartbeat quickened. I had always been a shy and reserved


    girl who had not let anyone evene close to me. And here I was, lying half naked on a car¡¯s hood in


    the middle of the night by ake, wanting this gorgeous man to do whatever he wanted with me.


    Was I insane? Definitely.


    Did I fear him? Not at all.


    My legs automatically parted when I felt his face near my legs, and he took a long whiff.


    ¡°That scent!!¡± He rasped, ¡°You are making my lycan lose control¡± Cahan took ragged breaths as I felt


    a shiver of pleasure run up my body when he said that.


    I had the ability to make HIM lose control??


    I was the one entirely at his mercy with my face pressed against the cold car. He could snap my neck in


    an instant if he wanted to.


    Surely, he was the one in power here.


    And he showed that to me soon enough.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Zenovia


    His fingers traced his mark on my skin, slowly and subtly and I felt the act to be very sensual. My ass


    jiggled when his fingers touched it and then without warning he lightly smacked me.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± I cried as he muttered, ¡°You ran away from the mansion without telling me.¡±


    Another smack reached my bum as his hand pped me and then gently rubbed it.


    I was twitching but the sharp sting of pain along with the little massage of his hand immediately after


    the p made me want more of his touch, more of this.


    Why was I looking forward to getting spanked by this man? I had no idea.


    ¡°You made me worried about you and your safety,¡± Cahan said in a stern voice and his hand came


    down on my ass again.


    ¡°Ahh.¡± A moan left my lips instead of a startled cry this time.


    moan


    Cahan noticed it too and he asked, ¡°Do you deserve more of this?¡±


    Like a greedy wanton, I replied. ¡°Y-yes¡±


    Smack.


    Another p followed suit though he was not being too harsh on me. I could feel the way he was


    controlling his strength because the ps only touched me enough to cause a sting like that of a


    needle.


    And then his hand would slowly rub the sore spot, taking his time while I shivered delightedly.


    I sucked in a breath as he asked, ¡°Where are your manners?¡±


    My legs were shaking with want and 1 barely managed to multer. ¡°Y-yes, your majesty. Please punish


    me.¡±


    I heard him say, ¡°That¡¯s a good girl¡±


    He positioned himself directly behind me and I felt his shaft rubbing against my skin.


    Where had he learned this? His strong but surprisingly tender hands were giving me a double dose-a


    dash of pain followed by a generous offering of a massage.


    With each p. I felt my breathing grew more erratic, more deep. Cahan did not get carried away,


    not even once.


    He let me take deep breaths after every little swat and massaged the sore spot just enough so that


    when the next time the pnded on my butt cheek, I felt another jolt of blissful pleasure wash over


    me.


    Was it really a punishment if I was enjoying this? I had no idea I would like something so scandalous.


    And, I swear this man had much more control than I did. His hand never strayed away even if it could.


    He was focused on the spanking and gentle, careful massages that made me go mad with pleasure.


    God, this was too much to bear.


    The lycan King was fully clothed while I was half naked and begging him to punish me.


    But I had no time to worry myself with embarrassment. 1 would do it tomorrow when I woke up.


    Tonight, I wanted him to do whatever he wanted with me.


    ¡°Did I make a mistake by marking you?¡± He asked while eyeing the mark on my other butt cheek that


    he had not pped yet.


    ¡°N-no, your majesty¡± I answered.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how worried I was about you when I found out you were not in your room?¡±


    He had gone to my room? When?


    He only had visited my room once and that too I had embarrassed myself with my awkward dancing.


    I was too busy thinking about it when another smack reached my ears.


    ¡°Ahh¡±


    ¡°Would


    ¡°No¡±


    Smack.


    you ever try to run away again?¡± He asked another question and the answer was pretty obvious.


    ¡°No, your majesty¡±


    The heat pooling in my core was intensifying and my body did not like the way he was being slow.


    So I simply took it upon myself to make him touch me again. I skipped the salutation purposely and


    was rewarded with a p that made me cry in a mixture of pain and pleasure again.


    ¡°Who do you belong to?¡± He asked and there was a tone of superiority in his voice that demanded


    submission.


    ¡°Nobody¡± I answered just to annoy him a little. His dominant personality was showing and I suddenly


    wanted to test how far he would go.


    Another loud smack rang through the air. His hand slowly caressed my butt cheek as he waited for me


    to correct my


    answer.


    ¡°You¡±


    Smack.


    ¡°Ahhh¡± I let out a cry when the pain and pleasure got too much to bear.


    ¡°LI belong to you¡±


    Smack


    I gulped and replied hastily.


    ¡°I am yours, King Cahan. I belong to you¡± I answered, adding the proper salutation and I waited for


    him to do something. But he did not spank me.


    I felt the slight rustle of fabric and craned my neck to see what he was doing. And I felt him go down on


    his knees, his face directly in front of the mark.


    He pped me when he noticed me staring at him and I quickly looked away. And the next second, he


    brought his tongue our and began licking the mark.


    ¡°Ahh¡±


    I let out a scream and I heard him emit a low growl in response.


    ¡°How could you ever think that I did not want this?¡± He asked me as his tongue began drawing slow


    circles on my skin.


    Before I could answer, he softly bit down on the sore spot he had been hitting and massaging all this


    time, capturing it in between his teeth and I lost it.


    ¡°Cahan!!¡± I screamed, my voice tearing through my lungs, the want and need for him clearly audible.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    I forgot to make use of a proper salutation and even he seemed to stop wanting to p me for


    forgetting it.


    Instead of the domineering voice, I heard a raspy voice that made me tremble with need again.


    ¡°Scream my name, Zee. Scream all you want because I am not going to stop punishing you.¡±


    That thought should have frightened me. We were in the middle of nowhere and it was dark in the


    night.


    There was nobody around except for the chirping birds and the soft waves of theke beside us as


    Cahan drove me mad with his touch, with his very being


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I rasped, the only word I managed to get out as I felt his mouth bite softly into my skin


    again.


    However, he stopped suddenly and my skin cried at the loss of his touch.


    ¡°Do you want forgiveness?¡± He asked, his voiceced with a tinge of worry and I gulped.


    ¡°I want this¡­more than anything,¡± I said and tried not to pass out from the euphoria of emotions


    dancing in me.


    Cahan let out a breath and smiled, ¡°That is a good girl. You are mine. Just mine.¡±


    He said that and the next minute his hands grabbed my waist and turned me around so that my


    entrance would face him.


    Another growl left his mouth as he saw my wet, dripping entrance ready for him, his mouth, and his


    hard length that I was dying to see.


    But he did not give me the time to even breathe. Without wasting a second, his fingers parted the folds


    of my entrance and his mouth found my clit.


    I let out a moan unlike the ones I had previously managed to utter but he just did not stop.


    For the next few minutes, he kept licking and suckling me as I fell back on the car hood with his mouth


    between my legs, just as I had wanted.


    My chest was heaving and the cold surface was biting into my skin but it was nothingpared to the


    way his mouth was devouring me.


    I could feel my muscles clenching and unclenching, and I began to feel my orgasm building up. He


    must have sensed it too,


    I was shaking uncontrobly as his tongue flicked over that sensitive spot and I was just about toe


    when he abruptly pulled away.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked in frustration as he got up from the ground and began rolling his sleeves down his arm.


    ¡°Because I get to decide your punishment, littlemb¡± And then he winked, throwing me a deviously


    handsome smile.


    ¡°No, please¡± I begged but he shook his head and took a step back or two while saying.


    ¡°Next time, you will know better than to run away from me.¡±


    My cheeks turned red in embarrassment and I took in deep breaths, my skin still tingling as the cruel


    lycan King walked towards the driver¡¯s seat, leaving me on the cusp of my arousal, unsatisfied and


    yearning for him.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Zenovia


    ¡°What? Nooo¡± I cried but Cahan did note near me. He finished rolling his sleeves down and


    buttoned his shirt again while I slowly got up from the car hood.


    ¡°We have to go back.¡± He said while walking towards the driver¡¯s seat.


    I was annoyed and frustrated all over again. Why did he have to leave me unsatisfied?


    The feel of his lips on mine, my entire body and the way he had licked and sucked my folds was still


    making my skin tingle. Not to mention the euphoria that had been building up inside of me disappeared


    in an instant.


    I felt a little sore and he had not even done that for hours likest time. And as much as I wanted to pull


    him close and make him kiss me again, I was too annoyed to show him that I wanted him.


    The way he acted aloof and unperturbed after making out with me, I could do the same. At least, I


    thought I could.


    I would not cry in front of him, not now. Thus, I took a few moments to calm down myself and catch my


    breath.


    Meanwhile, Cahan opened the car¡¯s door and I realized that he meant every single word of his


    earlier lines where he said. he would punish me.


    With a frown, I lowered my dress and adjusted my hair to not look like I had been having the time of my


    life.


    After I thought I looked decent, I slowly walked towards the other side of the car and opened the door.


    Without a word, 1 got in the seat and Cahan started the ignition.


    The silence was weird but I did not feel the need to fill it likest time. I tried to calin myself down and


    not feel drawn to him.


    His hands gripped the steering wheel a bit too hard as he drove through the muddy road of the little


    clearing before we hit the tarmac. He was giving off a ¡®don¡¯t talk to me right now¡¯ vibe and I was in no


    mood to beg. I had begged for his touch and his forgiveness already.


    Maybe that is why he did not have any girlfriend. Because he would pull you close then push you away


    when you got too close for hisfort.


    I was seething in anger and my fists were coiled as I took deep breaths to not take out it all on him.


    That would only show him that it affected me, that I needed him.


    The first rays of dawn were beginning to peek through the horizon and as I peered through the window,


    I saw theke shimmer in a golden light.


    The scene was breathtaking and I would have screamed in excitement of how surreal it felt to be there


    if not for the fact that my brain kept reying the way he had devoured me moments ago,


    Those hands had roamed all over me, those full lips had suckled me


    ¡°Stop it!¡± I muttered angrily to keep my thoughts from going back to those moments that had felt like a


    bliss just a few minutes ago. Now, I wanted to forget them. And I did not realize I had said it out loud.


    Cahan merely raised an eyebrow at that, thinking I was asking him to stop the car. He must have


    noticed the anger and frustration in my voice but he did not try to talk to me or make any effort


    whatsoever. He only replied, ¡°Once we are home¡±


    His reply was curt and 1 did not bother asking him if he wasn¡¯t taking this punishment thing too far.


    I mean I had already apologized for trying to run away and for my tant stupidity for believing that


    Harry was a nice person who wanted to help me.


    My burt was a little red and I felt I had to sit on a block of ice given the way he had spanked me.


    So now, why did he again have to be so curt and aloof all over again? Maybe, he was just broody 24/7.


    This man was truly annoying and I knew even if I asked him any questions he would not answer me.


    I forced my mind to stop thinking about him and it drifted to the events of the night before. I recalled the


    way Harry had baited me, the way Sid had spoken and looked at me.


    Was he really going to sell me to this rogue king? Who was he and where was he hiding? And why was


    he interested in me?


    Sid had said that he was going to mark me so that the rogue King would leave me alone. But would


    that really work? I did not think a mark of anybody other than that of the mate would make anybody not


    pursue you.


    Though it would be delusional of me to think that men were suddenly flocking to mate with me when


    nobody had looked at nhe like I was their mate all my life.


    And Sid¡­I was unsure what to think about him.


    With Sid came the memory of my father, the betrayal, and how his wife, Celeste, had poisoned his


    mind against me.


    My eyes prickled with tears at that memory and I tried to viciously shove it away. I was so lost in


    thoughts that I did not even realize we had already reached the gates of the mansion. The huge metal


    gates creaked a little as two men promptly ran towards the gates to open them.


    I fidgeted with my fingers as Cahan drove the car through the long entryway and parked it in his


    garage.


    There were a few servants cleaning and polishing other cars but I was the least interested in looking at


    his shiny toys.


    I was simply happy to run back to my room and spend some tire alone to sort through my emotions.


    Hence, I got out of the car without a word and began walking towards the stairs that would lead to my


    room.


    However, Cahan called out from behind.


    ¡°Wait¡±


    I stopped and turned back to look at him. And despite not wanting to, my heart skipped a beat on


    seeing that handsome


    face.


    Stupid me!


    I did not bother replying and he only muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away next time. I will not


    be lenient


    I furrowed my eyebrows wondering what that meant.


    I opened my mouth to ask just that but then closed my mouth and gave him a curt nod. I did not want


    him to give me more, reason to make fun of me or be amused at my expense.


    I did my best expression of being unbothered as he added, ¡°I need to find out more about this rogue


    King that your brother spoke about.¡±


    For some reason, the way he called Sid my brother irked me.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    1 snapped, ¡°He is not my brother¡±


    Cahan mused, ¡°Oh right. He is your what is he? Your stepbrother? He seemed to be fascinated by


    you.¡±


    I did not even want to think about it as it made me want to puke. Nor did I want to take that bait and


    argue with him over something so stupid.


    ¡°I am tired. I will go get some sleep.¡± I said and walked away from the arrogant lycan King. Stomping


    my feet hard. I made my way through the stairs and went up and I heard a soft click of the car door as


    Cahan too began walking towards the


    mansion.


    A soft breeze of wind passed by, carrying his scent and my senses tingled all of a sudden at the way


    his scent filled my


    nostrils.


    I shook my head and kept walking straight and if I was not mistaken, 1 heard the unmistakable sound


    of a chuckle behind I wanted to stab him.


    ¡®Arrogant asshole¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Zenovia


    The moment I reached my room, I sagged in relief. The first thing I did was close the door and fall down


    on the bed.


    I was too tired by the hundreds of thoughts churning through my head, so I simply closed my eyes and


    let sleep overtake my mind.


    Thus, Iy on the bed and was pulled into thend of dreams soon enough. However, my sleep was


    gued with various memories of my life.


    My father¡¯s indifference to his wife¡¯s scheming, the way he had said I was not his blood, and the way


    Sid had imed to want me, began to haunt me.


    I shuffled restlessly on the bed, my fingers twisting the sheets Iy on, and then another face popped


    up in front of me.


    The golden eyed man who had ruined me for anybody else. He looked at me hungrily, his gaze dipping


    to my lips and in a second he came closer and stood directly in front of me.


    I looked up at him with a mixture of emotions but he only grabbed my head, gathering a fistful of hair in


    his hand, and muttered, ¡°You are mine to torture¡±


    He then brought his lips dangerously close to mine, and I leaned forward to capture them, my body


    reacting to his touch and my heartbeat quickening abruptly, but he let go of me and walked away,


    fading into darkness.


    ¡°No, wait.¡± I shot my hand to grab the empty air and realized he was not around.


    1 let out a frustrated groan, and my eyes opened a secondter. Even in dreams, this man would not


    let me have peace.


    I tried to calm my mind and fall asleep again, but the thoughts just wouldn¡¯t leave me alone, so I got up


    and went to the bathroom for a shower.


    The hot water was invigorating, and it soothed my aching muscles but also prickled my skin. I turned


    around to look at my butt and saw that it was slightly red. I had never bothered looking at the mark of


    the Lycan King as it had just looked like a bite mark


    But now when I peered at it, the mark seemed to have a definite shape.


    Curious, I walked near the mirror and tried to angle myself to take a better look. I was not aware of


    what mate marks were supposed to look like, as 1 had always assumed it was a very intimate thing


    between two mates.


    So, I assumed it would simply look like a mole or a freckle. But when I angled myself to get a better


    look, I was left stunned.


    The mark was neither a mole nor a freckle.


    It had been a small spot the first time I saw it, but now I sensed that it had expanded a little. There was


    something circr on both the sides, I probably assumed them to be crescent moons, and were those


    clouds in the center?


    I tried looking at it intently, but given the spot he had chosen to ce it on me, I could not look at it


    without straining my eyes or bending myself at an odd angle.


    The mark had also elongated a bit downward, and it looked a bit like a small dagger. Was I imagining


    things or were all those things really there on my body?


    I slowly rubbed my hand over the mark and I felt a small spark of friction the moment I touched it.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± I winced when I touched my skin where he had marked me. It looked in and smooth, much


    like a tattoo, though if I had ever wanted one, I would probably get it on a part of my body I could see


    and admire.


    Why had I not noticed this change in the mark before?


    A wave of pleasure erupted inside me when I brushed my fingers on the mark, recalling the way he had


    touched me and his lips had kissed my skin. But the euphoria died down shortly as there came a


    certain unease.


    It soon bubbled up as I suddenly felt short of breath and gasped as I felt dizzy for a moment.


    cing my hand on the wall for support, I took a few deep breaths and sat down on the edge of the


    huge bathtub, catching my breath.


    What was that?


    The Lycan King was the most powerful beast of all, so his mark would naturally signify power and


    strength.


    But had he not said that as he was cursed, it would not have the same effect as a mate¡¯s mark?


    Not that I had any idea what a mate¡¯s mark felt or looked like. Most marks I had seen of mates were


    pretty simple and the mates would always stare at each other as if nobody else mattered.


    I imagined what it would be like to have somebody look at me like that. Because I knew I could not


    afford to even dream about having the Lycan King as my mate. I had to focus on the present and stop


    living in my dream world.


    Thus, I shook my head and ignored the mark whilethering myself with the shower gel. My hair felt


    dirty and matted, so I took my time cleaning it thoroughly and after almost an hour, I was done.


    When I stepped out of the bathroom, I noticed that the sun had risen quite up in the sky. My gaze


    flicked to the watch, and 1 saw that it was 10 a.m. already.


    I did not feel sleepy at all, so I thought about what to do next. And then I remembered that I still had to


    do some training to help me shift.


    There must be a few members in the pack who awakened their wolves every now and then, so I hoped


    to familiarize myself with them and learn to shift soon.


    I also had to focus on physical training so that when


    my body and my wolf were ready, the shifting would happen without


    me passing out or worse, going in heat likest time.


    Thus, I walked towards the wardrobe and sorted through the myriad of clothes to pick one suitable for


    training-


    After five minutes, I was ready to train in my ck track pants, a red sports bra, a red tee, and ck


    sports shoes


    I also tied my hair up in a ponytail after drying it well and stepped out of the room with a bottle in hand.


    Thankfully, I did not bump into the Lycan King as I strode out through the room and walked down the


    stairs.


    I saw a few servants working as usual, and I gave them a polite nod. Maria waved at me and called me


    over for a quick breakfast.


    I had nned to say no, but I did not want to pass out in front of the others, so I nodded my head as


    she served me some sandwiches and juice.


    ¡°Where is everybody? It is quiet for a morning¡±


    I said, and Maria nodded. ¡°Oh, that is because King Cahan left for some work shorth


    King Cahan left: Where did he go suddenly? When was he going to return?


    A lot of questions popped into my head.


    after you returned.¡±


    I had been feeling a little hungry when she ced the dishes of fresh sandwiches, but now I suddenly


    ¡°So suddenly?¡± I asked, trying to look disinterested in the conversation.


    lost appetite.


    Maria was busy doing her chores as she answered, ¡°Yes, he is known to leave for work at the oddest of


    hours, and I am not in a position to ask him where he was going or why


    I nodded my head meekly. I had been prepared to ignore lum and do my best to not even bother trying


    to look for him and to make him aware of the fact that I could give him the cold shoulder as well.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    But he was not even in the mansion to do that. Why did I feel a sort of home?


    tiness engulf me when I heard that he wasn¡¯t

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Zenovia


    Maria must have noticed my expressions because she added, ¡°Do not worry, my dear. Cahan is a


    busy man, and he would return as soon as his work ispleted.¡±


    I nodded at that and finished my te of sandwiches and gulped down the juice because she would not


    let me leave without that.


    ¡°Good girl¡±


    She said, and I was reminded of lum again. I shook my head.


    Maybe this was for the better. I had to give myself some space and time to know what I felt for him and


    what it could mean


    to me.


    As much as I craved him, there was no denying that he was the Lycan King and at most I could be his


    breeder, not his chosen mate or anything else.


    Thus, I walked out of the big dining hall and made my way towards the open grounds. There were not


    many people around except for one or two gardeners.


    Where did the rest of the pack train and exercise?


    I wondered and looked around. The mansion was huge, but it was not crammed with people. In fact, I


    had only seen Drusi, Matteo and Elijah inside, along with the servants and maids.


    I made my way towards the garden and was relieved to find a familiar figure.


    ¡°Elijah,¡± I called out, and he turned around.


    Seeing me,


    he gave me a smile and waved at me.


    ¡°Hey, good morning¡±


    1 jogged up to reach him and asked, ¡°Where is everybody? The mansion feels pretty empty.¡±


    Elijah shrugged. ¡°Where everybody is supposed to be. At the pack house.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡°Where is that? I have not really met the rest of the members of the pack.¡±


    Elijah gave it some thought, as if debating what to answer.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t expect the entire pack to live in the mansion, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh


    He chuckled.


    ¡°But then, even in the ball, I did not see any of the pack members.¡±


    Elijah teased, ¡°You did not see pack members of any pack, not just ours. That was because the ball


    was only for the leaders of a pack, alpha, beta, gamma and, in some cases, their kids too, if they were


    of age.¡±


    I remembered Cynthia and her friends and how they had made a big fuss about wanting to be chosen


    as Cahan¡¯s mate.


    That reminded me of a question lingering in my mind.


    ¡°Did anybody find a m¨¢te?¡±


    Elijah nodded. ¡°A few did.¡±


    ¡°And the King?¡± I could not help but ask.


    ¡°He cannot find one while the curse is still in effect, but yes, he did not choose anyone.¡±


    Why did I feel so relieved to hear that?


    ¡°Cahan is the Lycan King. So he is supposed to live in a mansion, separate from the rest of the


    werewolves and packs. But he doesn¡¯t like living there much either. He only uses it for work and


    meetings. Though, nowadays, he spends a lot more


    time in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°What changed?¡± I asked, and Elijah shrugged.


    ¡°Not sure. Maybe he had too many meetings to attend and stuff like that. In fact, the mansion was


    mostly abandoned and he liked to live with the others in the pack house. But then, as the attacks of the


    rogues increased, I and Matt literally forced him to live here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Nee.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°No wait, even you arrived around the same time. Maybe it served as a catalyst?¡±


    I was not sure what to think of that. Why would Cahan abandon his people ande to live with me


    in a giant mansion? That would signify that I was some important person in his life, which I definitely


    wasn¡¯t.


    Another thought popped up in my head. ¡°The King needed an anchor, I heard. Is that why I was


    brought to the mansion? To be sacrificed in some ritual?¡±


    The questions popping up in my head were a little weird, but there was some secrecy within the four


    people- Drusi, Matteo, Elijah and Cahan.


    They were pretty tight-lipped about this whole anchor stuff that made me notpletely trust them. So


    far, none of them had harmed me, but it felt simr to raising a chicken to be cooked for dinner one day.


    ¡°You will be informed about it when the time is right. I am not authorised to tell you anything.¡± He gave


    a short answer and changed the topic.


    Elijah continued talking about Cahan and I noticed the way he was sharing his views about his leader


    and King, oblivious to the turmoil churning inside me.


    ¡°You know, it took us a great deal of time and energy to convince him. He did not want to live alone in


    the mansion and. leave the others unsafe. But it was Drusi who pointed out that nobody would attack


    his pack, they would onlye for him.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Elijah looked around as one of the guards opened the gate and we continued walking outside the huge


    garden.


    We soon were on the road, which was rtively empty, given the fact that the mansion was closer to


    the forest.


    ¡°In the past, there were a few attacks on the pack, but almost nobody got hurt. Cahan spent literally


    weeks fortifying the pack house and setting up advanced safety measures to ensure that nothing would


    get in without permission. He also trained us to the point that we thought our bones and muscles were


    sore 24/7¡ä¡ä


    I smiled at that. Elijah was easy to talk to, and he made me feel oddlyfortable when I was with him,


    With Cahan, there would either be an awkward silence or tension that my body could not find a way


    to dissolve without wanting to kiss him. And I sincerely hoped he had not told anyone about me going


    in heat and him quelling the fire inside of


    1.


    It would be awkward for me to exin that.


    As we walked further, the shrubs and trees grew a little denser and he left the road to take a muddy


    path that went into the


    forest.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, and he replied. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me where the pack house was?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°I am not sure if it is the best idea to introduce me to them. Cahan never did.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. He has plenty of things to do than show you around. Plus, now he would not even want


    you to leave the


    mansion¡±


    I gulped. 1 recalled the way Cahan¡¯s eyes had heated and there was a hint of usation in them


    when he said that I had run away from him.


    I wondered if the rest of the people knew where I had beenst night, or that Cahan had saved me


    from Sid.


    Indirectly, he had asked me to stay in the mansion so would I be going against his orders if I went to his


    pack house?


    But then I was with his gamma who was showing me his pack house, taking me to meet his people..


    Surely that would not anger him. At least, I hoped. And truth be told, Cahan was like a closed book


    who did not reveal much of himself and sitting inside that golden cage all day without having something


    to do was boring me to death.


    It would do me good if 1 met his people and got to know more about them, and about him, in turn.


    I hesitated for a moment while these thoughts churned in my head, making Ehjah turn around to look at


    me.


    ¡°Hey, what is wrong?¡±


    I bit my lip nervously. ¡°LI am not sure if everybody will like me.¡±


    Elijah smiled. ¡°Of course they will. Nowe on. Just be confident¡±


    I stepped through the bushes and in front of me stood a huge wall with gates.


    If not for Elijah, I would not have even noticed the wall in the first ce.


    It had blended with a natural environment, making it look like the wall was made of mud and soil, but


    upon a closer look, I noticed that it was made of solid blocks of concrete and rock which were


    camouged to blend into the surroundings


    The guard let us in almost immediately after seeing Elijah, though he did look curiously at me.


    I thought I should have worn something much more formal instead of the training outfit that was


    hugging my body, but then it was toote to turn back.


    ¡°She is Zenovia, our new pack member. Let her in and out without the need of any special permissions


    even if I, Matt or the King is not around.¡±


    The guard looked at me again and asked, ¡°Does the King know she is here?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. But I will inform him¡±


    The guard squinted his eyes to look at me, as if memorising my face, and nodded curtly. Following that,


    we walked inside.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    And I was hit by a wave of familiar emotions when I looked around.


    The ce looked much like my pack house, back home, the Nightfall pack led by my father, Alpha


    Drake Archer.


    However, it was much bigger, spacious, and very well maintained. There were neat looking buildings


    and small cottages on either side that were separated by small shrubs, flowering nts and ample


    space.


    It looked like a big, sprawlingmunity, maybe a small county that was nestled within the forest,


    away from the prying eyes of the rogues.


    A soft breeze was flowing through the ground and people were busy working- some were training,


    some were tending to the nts and others were doing some chores.


    As I stood beside Elijah, one by one, all of them noticed us and stopped whatever they were doing to


    turn around and look at us¡­specifically just me.


    Nobody was smiling and soon more people began to gather as they noticed a stranger walk into their


    home.


    I subconsciously stepped near Elijah as I saw a few confused looks on the pack member¡¯s faces as


    they whispered something amongst each other.


    Was I already in trouble?

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Zenovia


    The pack members all eyed me warily as I stood frozen in my tracks. Elijah put his hand on my back


    and gently nudged me forward


    ¡°They are not going to bite you. Go ahead¡±


    I gave him a nervous smile as he cleared his throat.


    ¡°She is Zenovia Archer, now a member of our pack. Please wee her¡±


    He said, and a tense silence followed suit. The pack members kept looking at each other and nobody


    said a word.


    The feeling that this had been a bad idea kept intensifying, and I debated walking back out of the gate.


    I hesitantly raised one of my hand and waved at them all. Still, there was no reaction


    I looked worriedly at Elijah, who murmured.


    ¡°Oh, I should have told you this before. Cahan never took in a new member in the pack under any


    circumstances. That


    was his rule.¡±


    My eyes grew wide as saucers as I looked at him and said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Then you should have told me that before bringing me here¡±


    Elijah shrugged. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you wouldst even a day. He never took anyone, so I believed he


    would drive you off in hours the first day you were brought in¡±


    I made a face. ¡°Thanks for the motivation¡±


    Elijah scratched the back of his head as I whispered, ¡°Why does lie never take anybody in?¡±


    But before Elijah could answer, an elderly woman stepped forward. She was wearing a pale grey dress


    and had wrinkles on


    her face.


    Her hair was tied behind in a messy bun and there were a few nes and bracelets upon her


    person.


    The elderly woman stepped forward, a stick in her hand that she used to slowly walk forward. I gulped


    nervously as she kepting closer.


    I wanted to step back, but Elijah muttered low in his breath to keep still.


    And I did that.


    The woman came and stood directly in front of me while Elijah mumbled, ¡°Hello Elder Lina, how are


    you doing today?¡±


    However, Elder Lina did not say a word to him. She kept staring at me and then slowly began circling


    me while observing me from head to toe.


    Once, she even poked at my legs, startling me, but I sensed the watchful gazes of all the pack


    members on me, so I kept quiet.


    When shepleted her slow circle around me, she came to stand in front of me again and titled her


    head.


    ¡°What is


    your name?¡±


    Elijah interrupted before I could open my mouth. ¡°She is Zenovia-¡±


    However, Elder Lina raised her hand and showed him her that hand to indicate him to shut up. He


    promptly did as she looked at me.


    Her voice was sharp and clear for her age, though I was not entirely sure what age bracket would she


    fit in.


    ¡°H-Hello,


    my name is Zenovia Archer, I answered and Elder Lina grunted.


    ¡°What pack did you belong to?¡±


    ¡°N-nightfall pack¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it before,¡± she mumbled, mostly to herself.


    ¡°It is one of the smaller packs down south.¡± I supplied, but she only grunted again in response.


    She then put her hand on my chin and moved my face to the left and then to the right, examining me¡­


    for what¡­I had no idea


    My gaze flicked to the other pack members who were only standing and watching curiously, probably


    waiting for her judgement that I was not carrying some harmful and contagious disease that would


    make them all fall sick.


    Elder Lina did some more poking, caught a strand of my hair in her hand and took a whiff followed by


    other bizarre things that I only kept watching in confusion before she finally took a step back from me.


    cing her stick on the ground, she looked at me and took a lengthy pause as I felt everybody wait for


    her verdict with a bated breath.


    After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke, ¡°Wee home¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Whatever she said next was drowned in a melee as everybody just ran towards me and began


    cheering and pping loudly.


    I was too confused by the sudden change of behavior and I looked at Elijah, who had been pushed


    back a little as everybody mored around me.


    He gave me a wistful smile, which I returned as everybody shook hands and introduced themselves to


    me, but I could not even remember the names of half of them.


    Everything was happening too fast.


    And then when their initial excitement subsided, the crowd thinned while my eyes fell on Elder Lina,


    who was still looking at me with curiosity.


    She motioned for me to follow her and she began walking towards a huge structure that I assumed was


    the packhouse.


    It was a big building made of wood and brick with several rooms that would probably serve as guest


    rooms, or maybe people lived there for all 1 knew.


    She took the small flight of stairs up which I saw her struggle a little. I tried to offer her support, but she


    denied and kept using her stick to climb up and finally enter one of the many rooms.


    Elijah was tailing behind and he too entered the empty room that only had a few chairs and some extra


    furniture.


    Elder Lina sat on one of the chair and motioned for me to sit on one in front of her


    I did as instructed while she looked at Elijah. ¡°Are you going to babysit her when I am there already?¡±


    Elijah tried to suppress a chuckle, and he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze as he walked out,


    closing the door.


    That left me and Elder Lina in the room.


    ¡°So why did the Lycan king take you in?¡±


    1 pushed back a lock of hair that was falling on my face and replied, ¡°My pack they sold me to him.¡±


    Elder Lina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that the only reason?¡±


    She asked sharply. I wanted to scream as if I know what goes on in his head but decided against it.


    ¡°My¡­my familybeled me a traitor and told him I was the one who was supplying insider information


    to the rogues.¡±


    ¡°Were you?¡± She asked in that same sharp voice.


    I shook my head. ¡°I loved my family, especially my father. I would never even do such a thing¡±


    She leaned forward and whispered, ¡°Then do you hate Cahan for bringing you here? Away from your


    home?¡±


    1 furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡°I hated him at first, but then I am not sure if there is enough hate for me to distribute between my


    family, my pack and leave something for him too.¡±


    I fought back the emotions swirling up inside me at the mention of my family. Why was she questioning


    me so much and what was she trying to find out?


    Elder Lina tilted her head and her gaze ran up from my feet to my face, studying me intently before she


    asked another question.


    ¡°Were you sent to him as a spy? Do you n to hurt him? Or use him for your personal benefit?¡±


    Was I supposed to say I worshiped the ground he walked on? His pack members might be honor


    bound to say that, but I


    wasn¡¯t.


    But I feared if I said I had a peculiar thing for hirm that whenever I tried hating him with fervor somehow


    my body betrayed me, she would think of me as some wannabe girl who could not keep her hands to


    herself.


    I debated my answer for a while and then muttered, ¡°He rules all of us, but I don¡¯t think my family cared


    about me enough of trusted me to act as a spy for them. They have not contacted me ever since he


    brought me here.¡±


    My voice cracked, and I hated myself for still getting emotional at the sting of betrayal. My father¡¯s face


    sh before me and my hands coiled into fists.


    And then the sweet face of my mother as she kept looking at me with so much love, so much hope that


    my eyes nearly watered


    I got up from the chair and turned away, not wanting her to see my tears and pain. If she did not trust


    me with my words, I certainly could not open up in front of her and give her more things to poke at.


    ¡°If you are done with your interrogation, I would very much like to leave,¡± I replied curtly, not bothering


    that I would draw the ire of the elder woman.


    Without bothering to wait for her reply, I stomped towards the door, opened the door, and walked out of


    the room.


    The sun had risen quite high in the sky and it waste afternoon by the time everybody left me on my


    own.


    Elder Lina had interrogated me for a while but then somehow decided I was either stupid to bring harm


    to the pack or was not strong enough to harm others myself.


    Either way, I was d that she had stopped interrogating me. If she did not trust me, that was her


    problem. I had not forced. Cahan to bring me to his ce. In fact, he was the one who was angry


    when I tried to run away.


    Wiping the tears off my face, I began walking towards the gate, wanting to leave this ce.


    Thankfully, everybody had left to do their respective works, so I was not hounded by the pack members


    on my way to the


    gate.


    But the moment I reached the gate, a familiar voice called out to me.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    I kept striding forward, not minding the person running behind me.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    Elijah began sprinting when I quickened my pace and he was in front of me in the blink of an eye.


    I had forgotten I was too slow for a werewolf. Even if I ran forward with all my strength, he would catch


    me in the blink of an


    cyc.


    I wiped the tears off my face while he stopped in front of me, blocking my way.


    ¡°I have been calling your name for thest five minutes and you are running away as if you saw a


    ghost¡±


    He grumbled and then took a moment to catch his breath. I felt just a tad bit satisfied that I had made


    the Lycan King feel out of breath, if only for a second.


    gamma of the


    ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to focus on traming. I muttered and stepped aside while continuing to walk


    forward. ¡°Where are you even going?¡± He asked, and I turned around, my hands on my hips.


    ¡°Away from the stupid pack and the stupid King¡±


    Elijah tried hard to keep a straight face, but I saw the hint of a smile creep up his lips.


    ¡°By walking towards the mansion? The very mansion the stupid King owns?¡± He asked, and I looked at


    him with a frown.


    I had called his King stupid, yet he was teasing me. Had it been anybody else, Elijah would have hit the


    person and then asked questions.


    ¡°So, where am I supposed to go?¡± I asked haughtily, and Elijah¡¯s smile widened a little.


    ¡°I understand you are a little frustrated, but please know that Elder Lina is just a little strict and seems


    rude on the outside, but she is sweet once you get to know her.¡±


    I folded my hands upon my chest.


    ¡°I thought of meeting everyone and not sitting in that big mansion alone, staring at the walls while your


    precious King went Goddess knows where. But I don¡¯t think your pack likes me.¡±


    ¡°Our pack¡­technically, you are one of us now¡­you are under the security of Cahan, just like the


    rest of us.¡±


    Security, my foot. Yes, he had saved me from the rogue King and Sid, but then he had resorted to


    being sulky and angry with me.


    ¡°Rx, he will be returning in an hour or two¡±


    My anger evaporated a little at the thought of seeing him again. He had left abruptly, and it had only


    been a few hours, but I was already missing him.


    And I hated the fact that he did not miss me.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I asked Elijah as he fell in steps beside me and we began walking towards the


    mansion again.


    ¡°I am his garma. Plus, we have mind links, you know.¡±


    I nodded. Of course, they couldmunicate with each other without having the need to be around


    physically. How would it feel to hear his voice in my head? To always check on him through mind link


    and talk to him?


    I shook my head at that thought. I had to focus on awakening my wolf first.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the ability to mind link. Hell, I don¡¯t even have a wolf yet¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Elijah smiled. ¡°But you have a phone and we can stay in touch through that for now. I am sure you


    would awaken your wolf


    soon.¡±


    While we walked our way back towards the mansion, Elijah kept motivating me with his words and


    trying to ease my frustration.


    ¡°Why did none of you introduce me to the rest of the pack before?I did not see them even at the ball.¡±


    I asked, as Elijah stopped a bit to tie his shoces.


    ¡°Well, as you saw, our pack feels a little hesitant to meet strangers because everybody just keeps


    attacking either them or Cahan. Mind you, the attacks are not always harmful but just petty people


    who like to take out their grudges against himn


    on the weak ones.¡±


    ¡°Who would even try attacking the fiercest Lycan¡¯s pack? Cahan would tear them apart.¡±


    Elijah¡¯s smile wavered, and he fell deep in thoughts. It was as if he was debating if he should tell me


    whatever was going on in


    his mind.


    ¡°The curse put on Cahan by that witch. It is slowly growing stronger.¡±


    I would have joked that Cahan looked extremely fit and fine, but the grim look on Elijah¡¯s face told me


    that it was a bad idea to say that.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked instead.


    Elijah replied, ¡°Cahan was not always this serious or pushed others away around as much as he


    does now. He used to be much more calm and rxed. But he learned early on in life that people


    change. His trust was broken often enough that he grew cold and distant.¡±


    I was a little surprised to hear this. I had always thought that Cahan grew up in riches, was spoiled


    rotten, and that was why he was so smug and thought highly of himself.


    But this information was news to me. Not that I could not rte to it.


    I recalled something that Drusi had mentioned earlier.


    ¡°The curse. If I remember correctly, Drusi had spoken about some anchor and even you had


    assumed that I was his anchor. But nobody ever tells me what that is supposed to mean.¡±


    When I said that, Elijah stopped dead in his tracks. I had walked a few steps ahead, so I turned around


    to look at him. ¡°What is wrong?¡±


    But he only stared at me and then slowly replied, ¡°That was a mistake¡±


    ¡°What was?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°You better get your ans from the King himself. None of us are authorised to speak about it.¡±


    Oh, now I got it.


    That is why they always avoided that topic and never answered my questions. But then how would I


    find out things if they always kept me in the dark?


    Another thought popped into my head.


    ¡°Do you know where the Lycan King wasst night?¡±


    Elijah answered immediately. ¡°Where else is he supposed to be? He must be either in his office or in


    some meeting. Why?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows at that.


    So, Cahan had not told any of them about where he wasst night, or rather where both of us were.


    Not that I was hoping to tell anybody how he went on his knees to im my entrance, but I thought he


    would tell them. about Sid and this rogue night.


    Apparently. Elijah did not know anything about that or he would have mentioned it.


    I had to find out more about this anchor thing and also who this rogue King was. If he found me through


    Harry/ Sid once, he would find me again.


    While we reached the gate, some mechanical voice reached my ears.


    I looked around curiously and Elijah muttered, ¡°Your phone, check it¡±


    I pulled it out of my pocket to see what was it. I just carried the phone around, but I really had nobody


    to chat with or call.


    Hence, when a notification popped up, I looked at it curiously.


    ¡°I have a message¡±


    ¡°Yeah, open it¡± Elijah encouraged me.


    I did as asked and read it aloud. ¡°See, now your inbox isn¡¯t so empty¡±


    I gave him a small smile, and he chuckled in return.


    ¡°Whenever you are bored, you can text me or give me a call.¡±


    I bit my lip nervously. ¡°But would it not interfere with your duties?¡± I did not want Cahan to scold him


    likest time. Though I did not speak out loud thest line, he noticed the unease in my expressions.


    ¡°Nah, I will manage. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Then, as an afterthought, he added, ¡°Well, you know what? I will save the numbers of others too on


    your phone. Dru, Matt, Cal and a few others that you know.¡±


    The mention of Cahan made me look up at his gamma. I recalled Cahan and Cynthia¡¯s


    conversation and text messages and how she had been flirting with him.


    How long had she been doing it? Had they ever dated at any point? Gotten serious? Had he rejected


    her? But then she kept pursuing him and even he did not ever shun her.


    Their rtionship was truly a mystery to me.


    While I daydreamed of wanting to start chatting with him, and what the conversation would look like,


    Elijah looked up at me with a sneaky smile,


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are quite sneaky,¡± He chuckled, starting to tease me again.


    ¡°What did I do now?¡± I made a face.


    But he was not done teasing me yet.


    ¡°I thought you were timid and shy but oh boy, somebody is way ahead of me.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and raised a finger, poking it in his chest.


    ¡°Stop with your pranks. And spit it out.¡±


    He raised his hands in mock surrender and replied, ¡°Oh ok ok, miss tigress. I have to show you


    soemthing. So step away a little please. Let this poor man breath.¡±


    though I knew he was teasing it felt nice to threaten the gamma of the lycan King and see him eye me


    warily.


    I might not be the strongest or the fastest, but I was hardworking and I would never ever stop trying.


    I red at him and stepped back, somehow taking out my frustration on him, though in a mild way.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Did you never check your phone before?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not really. It was just a shiny toy for me.¡±


    He raised the phone screen in front of me and showed me a name and number.


    ¡°Miss Zenovia Archer, may I know how do you already have Cahan¡¯s number? Who gave it to you?

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Zenovia


    ¡°I do?¡±


    I asked in confusion.


    ¡°Yes. See here? It is already saved¡± He showed me the contact list in which he had added Matt,


    Drusi, and a few more numbers I might need.


    I shrugged. ¡°I never really checked the phone much. I don¡¯t receive calls or messages, so it is more like


    a shiny toy to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, when you awaken your wolf. You won¡¯t need the toy either way¡±


    I nodded subconsciously. I was so stupid that 1 had not even realized I had Cahan¡¯s number with


    me.


    ¡°Probably when he took me to the shop to buy a mobile phone, he added his contact details¡±


    Elijah shrugged, ¡°Could be. But it is strange because he warns us not to share his number with


    anybody. He gets a lot of unnecessary attention and spam calls as it is. Once he even had strangled


    some dating app¡¯s CEO for floating his number all


    over his website.¡±


    Elijah chuckled as he recalled the memory as I looked at him curiously. He was too eager to share the


    story, so thankfully I did not have to ask him much.


    ¡°Really?¡± I enquired mildly.


    ¡°Yes, he stormed into the man¡¯s office and held him by the throat, asking who had dropped his contact


    details on their app and website. Apparently, they had somehow gotten his personal number and


    disyed his picture with a big advertisement saying that Cahan is looking for a potential bride. They


    got so many girls registering on their app overnight that their site crashed.¡±


    ¡°Ohh,¡± I replied. I had already gotten a glimpse of that at the mate ball when the girls were trying to gain


    his attention and the scornful gazes 1 received when I danced with him.


    I could text him or give him a call whenever I wanted. But would he reply to me? Or answer my call?


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    If he had my number all this time, why had he never bothered to contact me before leaving for


    whatever ce he had


    to?


    ¡°Cahan changed his number after that incident, and he is very particr about who has it.¡±


    gone


    I nodded again. Well, I was not too special because Cynthia had his number, too. I had seen her flirting


    with him in texts.


    Though I did not say that out loud to Elijah.


    1 kept walking with Elijah to the gate that creaked open, and the guards let us in. Elijah avoided my


    questions about the anchor stuff, but kept talking about everything else.


    After a while, I just decided to let go of the topic and instead talk about something that he would not


    dodge.


    ¡°So, if you are not busy, can you help me train? I never really received proper training on strength


    building and honing myself. I wish to be prepared for the next full moon.¡±


    Elijah raised an eyebrow at that, but did not argue. There was only a slight chance that I might


    experience something again. on the next full moon, like thest one.


    Though I hoped it would not be as embarrassing asst time.


    While we walked forward, the gates behind us opened again. I turned my head without even meaning


    to, thinking that Cahan was back.


    Sadly, it was just a few servants doing some chores. I mentally scolded myself for being such a lost


    puppy when it came to the Lycan King and focussed on my conversation with Elijah.


    ¡°Sure, why not? Would you like to train here or with the others at the packhouse?¡±


    I replied instantly. ¡°Here. Until I am confident of myself and sure that I won¡¯t make a fool of myself in


    front of them all. please let us do it here.¡±


    Elijah chuckled. ¡°I see that Elder Lina has scared the shit out of you.¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Do I need permission from Cahan to visit the pack house again?¡± I asked.


    We had walked a great deal since morning and now the sun was almost about to set. The day just did


    not want to end.


    ¡°Not really. You are a member of the pack and I took you there so that you won¡¯t feel lonely again.¡±


    However, at that, I stopped in T tracks.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡°again¡±?¡±


    Elijah tensed a little. ¡°I mean. I don¡¯t want you to feel lonely in this giant mansion¡±


    However, the way he looked away told me that was not the sole reason.


    ¡°Please, tell me, what is the issue?¡±


    Elijah scratched the back of his head. ¡°Uh, well, the King has given me and Matteo some additional


    tasks, so we might not be around so much from next week or so.¡±


    My face fell at that. It felt as if Cahan was avoiding me and he was also snatching everybody from


    me that I could talk to.


    Even Elder Lina didn¡¯t seem to like me a lot


    ¡°I get it. You all are busy people. Hopefully, if you teach me the basics, I will train on my own for the


    remaining time. I am a fast learner.¡±


    Elijah nodded, ¡°I bet you are¡±


    For the next few hours, I kept close to him, mostly to not be reminded of the way I would feel lonely


    once he left.


    Together we nned a training schedule, and he also gave me a diet n to help me be stronger


    faster.


    Late bloomers often neglected their training due to the shock and sadness of not awakening their


    wolves at the same time as, others.


    Instead of working hard on themselves, a few would go into depression and neglect their duties as well,


    making matters


    worse for them.


    I did not want to make that mistake.


    Elijah even asked Maria toe sit with us and exined what I was allowed to eat and what I wasn¡¯t.


    1 grumbled a little when he said I would have to cut down on the sweet and sugar. I loved the cakes


    and pastries Maria made whenever she had time


    But that was a small price that I was willing to pay


    Maria served us some food, and I did not even realize how hungry I was until the smell of food reached


    my nostrils.


    I began gorging on it while Elijah¡¯s phone rang.


    I saw the caller¡¯s name. It was the Lycan King


    Elijah received the call and excused himself for a moment while I found myself craning my ears to hear


    what they were discussing or rather Cahan¡¯s voice.


    I had to know if there was any news about this rogue King and what he had done to Sid. I had to be


    alert if this rogue King


    behind me for whatever reason.


    was


    But I only heard Elijah replying curtly and giving one word answers ¡®Yes¡¯, ¡®No¡¯, ¡®sure to him.


    I yed with my spoon, chasing some peas before Elijah finally disconnected the call.


    He looked up at me as I stared at him expectantly.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked, and Elijah nodded. ¡°Yes. Everything is okay. Though he was a little upset


    with me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked as I got up from the chair.


    ¡°Nothing. It seems like word of your visit to the pack reached him and he did not like it.¡±


    1 squinted my eyes. ¡°He did not like me visiting there?¡±


    ¡°More like he did not like that you were out of the mansion. He has asked me to warn you to not set


    foot out again until he


    returns


    Was he grounding me after leaving without talking to me? And why would he not message or call me


    himself but ask Elijah to y messenger?


    ¡°But you did not do anything. If you want, I will apologize to him.¡±


    Elijah shook his head. ¡°No there is no need¡±


    This phone rang again, and he picked it up, ¡°Y-yes, King?¡±


    However, a stern voice was scolding him from the other side. This time I could hear because I was


    standing right in front of Elijah.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything that will have the King worried about the pack. You are a responsible


    gamma, so he ces his


    The female voice snapped, and dread filled my heart.


    ¡°Sure Cynthia,¡± Elijah replied, and I heard her disconnect the call without another word.


    Author¡¯s note:


    The book is avable on different apps such as Readamo, Lereader. Noveloasis, Novelenders,


    Easynovel, Yumread, Upnovel, Voyon, Noveir, Literie so you might want to check the most affordable


    one and read the story if you enjoy it. It is signed under a contract with the apps to help me reach a


    wider audience and earn, so I pay my bills. Hence, I would request you all to leavements, gifts and


    reviews if you like the story so far. It would truly motivate me.


    Also, if anybody would like to get in touch with me to know more about the story or my other works,


    follow me on author nataliewinter on IG/FB. Thank you!!

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    My ears twitched at that name. Elijah promptly disconnected the call while I stood staring at him in


    surprise.


    Were my ears deceiving me?


    ¡°Did you get a scolding again from the King¡± Lasked, pretending to not have heard him take some other


    name.


    Elijah slipped the phone in his jeans pocket and mumbled, ¡°Oh, nothing. The King had to leave for


    some urgent meeting and Cynthia does not want me to disturb them.¡±


    My face fell.


    ¡°Oh, I did not know she was a part of official meetings. Imented, showing mild interest.


    Elijah shrugged. ¡°Her father is respected among all the packs. You could say that other than Calian


    himself, if there is anybody else that the other alphas would listen to, it is her father. So strategically, it


    is important that the two work closely together.¡±


    I nodded but could not help but ask. ¡°But why would King Cahan need an alliance? He is strong and


    powerful on his own.¡±


    ¡°He is. No doubt about that. But the rogue menace has been increasing a lot. And after the attack in the


    hospital, the one where you were also around, he feels that maybe he would not be enough.¡±


    Damn. I always thought that Cahan thought of himself as invincible, untouchable. My thoughts must


    have reflected on my face, because Elijah quickly added,


    ¡°It is not his own life that he fears. But his friends and close ones. The hospital attack almost killed Dru.


    Most of us were gravely injured. You were in a deep sleep for almost 2-3 weeks. After that, he has


    invested a lot of time and money in devising new strategies and upgrading the security of the


    packhouse and this mansion as well.¡±


    ¡°I understand. He is responsible for everyone¡¯s safety, not just his own pack.¡±


    Elijah agreed. ¡°Yes, and as much as I would like to keep youpany, 1 have things to do. It is almost


    evening now, so you could probably take a stroll through the garden or just rest a little.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± I replied


    I had forced him to be with me all day, but I knew I could not keep him around 24/7. Plus, I did not want


    Cahan to snap at him for no fault of his.


    Thus, I did not pester him more. After he left. I walked towards my room, but everything around me


    reminded me of the arrogant Lycan.


    I could see his office as I climbed up the stairs and recalled the way his hands had gingerly caressed


    me when I had spilled hot tea all over, from the huge window I saw the garden, specially the spot where


    they had set up a dance floor and the way we both had danced on it, and then I reached my room


    where I had begged him to sate my heat.


    I groaned in frustration.


    Wanting to keep myself upied. I headed to the bathroom and decided to take a nice, long bath.


    When I stepped out of the bathroom after thoroughly shampooing my hair and spending hours soaked


    iri the scented water in the bathtub. I felt a little refreshed.


    I changed intofortable pajamas and decided to justy in bed. I had nothing to do but surely I


    could read or watch something on the phone, maybe.


    It was just lying around and I had not even checked all the features except texting. So, I took the phone


    from the side table and saw that a few text messages were waiting for me.


    I eagerly opened them, but it was from an unknown number.


    Wondering who it was, I checked it and read the first message.


    -Hello, are you okay, Zenovia? I wanted to see if you are doing fine.-


    Lopened the next one that read:


    -Hey, this is Harry. Did you forget me already? I want my $500 back-


    I


    was fuming when I read that message. What did he think of himself? He conned me, broke my trust by


    trying to sell me as if I was somemb and now had the audacity to demand money from me?


    Didn¡¯t Sid give him enough already? I saw him throwing a thick wad of notes back at the club.


    I wanted tosh out at him for being such a dick, but I decided to simply ignore the texts so I deleted it.


    Next,


    there was another message, again from an unknown number.


    -Hey baby girl, how are you?


    ¡°Baby girl¡±


    Only Sid had called me that. He was creepy and threw cheesy lines at all the girls. But how did he find


    my number?


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Probably he had taken it from Harry


    But then why was he texting me Did he not fear Cahan?


    I was not sure if Galian knew about this Should I inform him? But then he was busy with the


    Cynthia¡¯s father.


    I stared at the screen for a long time, wondering if I should reply back or not.


    Then another message popped up from the same mumber.


    -I know you are angry with me, hurt even. But I only did everything for the park. I will even help to prove


    your intocence to Alpha Drake-


    This was definitely Sid.


    And 1 should have thrown that phone aside, but the name of my father made me hesitate. Was Sid


    really being honest?


    By now, I knew he was obsessed with me. He had made sexual advances on me many times and had


    openly dered that he


    wanted me


    But Luna Celeste, his mother, had an iron grip on everyone. Sid was her loyal minion, not just her son,


    who she used to make people bend to her whim.


    She had manipted my father into believing that I was the culprit. Could it be that she was


    manipting Sid, too?


    After all, I had lived with my father all my life and she had easily deceived a grown up man, an alpha of


    a pack. If she could trick an adult by her conniving nature, she could easily toy with Sid, who she had


    raised as a child.


    I hit my lower lip nervously.


    Was I reading into this too much, or could this be the truth? As much as I was upset over the fact that


    the evil woman had a vice like grip on my father, I loved him.


    A small part of me still hoped that he would see through her lies and deceit. And as much as I was


    wary about Sid, I knew that I could use him if I wanted to expose his mother.


    He could help me if I led him into believing that I had forgiven him and wanted to give him another


    chance.


    The cogs in my mind were whirring as one after another, more reckless, more dangerous, thought


    entered my mind.


    Sid was a link to all of the issues-his mother¡¯s debauchery, the rogue King and all the mayhem that had


    urred.


    Maybe I could put an end to all this if I yed tactfully.


    Thesitated for a while before deciding to reply to the message. I had to act like the na?ve and stupid girl


    he thought I was.


    Thus, I sent the following message,


    -Who is this?-


    The reply was instant.


    -You know me. I have wanted you for a long time. I am sorry about everything. Please, forgive me-


    Okay, he was being cautious, fearing that the phone was not with me.


    -No, I don¡¯t know you. This is an unknown number. Please identify yourself or I will block you-


    I waited patiently for the phone to ring again.


    Had ¦°¦É¦Í threat really scared him? I kept staring at the phone for a full five minutes before the much


    awaited beep sound reached my ears.


    I hastily opened the text message and read:


    -Baby girl, I am taking a great risk by contacting you. I thought you would never reply. I am Sid, your


    lover and well-wisher-


    Well-wisher, my foot. He was the one who had filled my dad¡¯s ears with nonsense about how I was the


    one to force myself on him.


    He would have to answer thatter.


    Right now, I had to gain his trust to know more about this rogue King and possibly rescue my father


    and pack from that evil birth.


    I typed a furious and angry message at first, but then calmed down and wrote a much tamer version of


    it


    -Sid, you were going to inject me with


    * some medicine to imprint upon me. What makes you think I will tr¨²st ¡¤


    All the drowsiness and earlier frustration disappeared from my mind as I got interested in the


    conversation.


    -Please, I am sorry, baby girl I did not want the rogue King to evene near you, so I had to mark


    you to protect you from his lust. I admit my method was rash but my intentions were only to save you


    from him-


    Such a liar. I wanted to lift a rock and throw it at him. Did he think I was so stupid?


    -The Lycan King will be pissed if he knows you dared contacting me again. So stay away from me-


    I could not start talking to him excitedly after what had happened or he would grow wary. I had to slowly


    make him believe that I was beginning to think about his words.


    -He needs me to tackle the rogue King. Don¡¯t worry about me. I know you love me too. And I promise, I


    will get you out of there soon. I¡¯ll contact you againter. Take care-


    Author¡¯s note: The story will be updated every alternate day and when I manage to write more, I will


    upload more chapters. too. Thank you for all the love and support. You can leave yourments about


    what you think would happen next, possible theories and such. I would be delighted to read your


    thoughts.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Zenovia


    I kept staring at the message for a long time, wondering what to reply. I did not send any reply to it and


    even Sid did not continue the conversation.


    Maybe he was being very careful with his ns.


    Either way, it gave me a lot of things to ponder about. Earlier, my only n had been to go back to my


    father and make him see the truth, but now with the mention of the rogue King, I was not sure anymore.


    It would be wrong to say that in some odd way. I had begun to care for Cahan.


    If 1 could find out this rogue King¡¯s ns, I would be able to save him from further trouble. He was


    already troubled and Elijah¡¯s words kept reying in my head.


    Calan would be upset if he found out I had contact with Sid and did not even inform him. I recalled


    the look in his eyes when he had walked up the stairs of the pub, the way he had looked at me in


    concern, asking me if I was okay, and pulling me into his embrace.


    Was that just his duty of saving a pack member? Or did he also feel something for me?


    He had called me his and then had been so delicate and then demanding all at once. No matter how


    much I tried not to, my thoughts kept drifting back to him.


    On one hand, I wanted to run away from Cahan, while on the other, I wanted to be close to him, too


    close.


    Maybe I should infort lum about Sid and the text messages so that he would not be angry with me


    again.


    It was frustrating. I clicked on his number and thought of sending him a message, but then wondered


    what to write.


    1 typed and deleted a few messages before cing the phone away. I did not need to put myself


    through so much misery again.


    Feeling restless, I went to the window and opened it. The night was dark and the dense trees covered


    most of my view of the


    skv.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    A soft breeze was flowing through the window, making the curtains flutter. I leaned on the windowsill


    dreamily, wondering what the moon Goddess had in store for me.


    My eyes were fluttering shut, and I was about to fall asleep when in the far distance. I saw two little


    lights.


    I let out a yawn and saw the lights dim, and my eyes drooped heavily. I was about to turn around and


    go to the bed when I heard the gate creek open.


    I was still feeling drowsy due to the soft breeze washing over me, but then I saw the lights growing


    larger and approaching


    The.


    Stifling a yawn, I realized that it was quitete and for a second wondered who it might be. And then,


    as the two blobs of light came closer, I realized whose car it was.


    My eyes flew wide open as I saw Cahan¡¯s car drive into the huge open ground. I leaned forward to


    get a glimpse of his face. but from this angle and distance, it was hard to see


    And before I knew I was dashing through the room, running down the stairs and sprinting down


    I had not even put on slippers and was running through the broad passageway before climbing down


    the never ending stairs..


    At one point, I almost slipped and stabbed my toe.


    Jumping up and down, I massaged my feet for a second before resuming to run downstairs. I had


    almost run towards the main door, but then remembered the shortcut to his garage through the other


    side.


    Hence, I changed direction and began running towards the garage again.


    I would have looked like a headless chicken that was running around without any direction, but I had a


    smile on my face.


    I wanted to see the face of the man who had not left my thoughts even for a millisecond in the entire


    day.


    These twenty four hours had been the longest ever. He could sulk, he could be arrogam like always,


    bicker or fight I just wanted to see his face and then run back to my room and pretend to sleep.


    I was truly insane.


    Ichuckled and kept running, and finally reached the door that led through the garage. Catching my


    breath, I leaned on a wall, my hair falling on my face as I heard the huge gate of the garage slowly roll


    upward.


    When the gate had risen quite high, I heard the car¡¯s ignition followed by the entire car that slowly


    drove in.


    The windows were pulled uppletely, so I was not able to see his face. I looked around and ducked


    behind a pir to get a


    better view, but stayed hidden from his sight.


    The car drove a little and slowly pulled up as the car¡¯s ignition was turned off. I heard footsteps and


    slowly craned my neck


    1.


    And I sucked in a breath to see the face of the man I had been eagerly waiting to see for the entire day.


    He looked a bit tired, but no less handsome. He was wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up


    and nuvy blue pants. While he took his bag and other stuff out, I kept staring at him.


    No, staring is the wrong word.


    I was gawking at him unabashedly.


    How could this man look so handsome at almost 2 am in the night? His hair was a little disheveled and


    my heart ached to run a hand through them, wanting to feel the softness under me.


    Cahan closed the door and gathered his bag and coat in one hand while holding the key in the other.


    ¡°How long are you going to wait?¡± He asked.


    I tried to hide behind the pir. Had he already noticed me? Surely. I had picked a good spot to hide


    myself behind all the big cars and other garage items.


    He threw his head up and turned around, but I ducked behind the pir just in time. My heart was


    palpitating wildly, and I wanted a few moments to catch my breath


    ¡®You can do this, I thought to myself and sucked in a few breaths before opening my eyes and deciding


    to go meet him.


    I would just tell him that I hade to inform him about Sid¡¯s messages instead of telling him how


    much I had missed him.


    Surely that would be a strong reason to want toe running here.


    Thus, I slowly put a step forward to see him still staring at the car.


    ¡°Fine, hide there all night. I am leaving


    I had taken another step, but then I heard the car door open again. And out of it stepped a girl who


    seemed a little grumpy


    Her hair was tied up, and she was wearing a very short dress. She got out of the car and pushed the


    door close with her heel while walking towards him.


    Cynthia


    1 should have expected that to be her. I should have known she would never let him leave in just a day.


    But the fact that he had been the entire day with lier and still had got her home hurt, nheless. Not


    that I had any business getting offended with that.


    ¡°All the treaty and uses talk made my head swim. I was just taking a moment to calm down. My


    brain does not work like yours all day¡±


    She said in a grumbling tone. Cahan¡¯s back was facing me while Cynthia¡¯s face was visible, and I


    saw the way her eyes danced with a twinkle of excitement


    Cahan shrugged. ¡°You wanted to be included in all the ¡®big talk¡¯ and work with me. You got what you


    wanted.¡±


    ¡°Not yet¡±


    She replied mischievously and gave him a sly smile.


    Cahan closed the door behind her and locked the car. He did not reply to herment that she took


    as another sign of continuing to flirt.


    ¡°My dear Lycan King, do you know what I want?¡±


    She asked, but he let out a sigh. ¡°It is almost 2 am, Cynthia. And I have lots of files waiting for me.¡±


    That is what you do all day. Just work and more work. You don¡¯t have to marry your work but a living,


    breathing girl. You know that, right?¡±


    Cahan replied tonelessly, ¡°If the girl doesn¡¯t make me want to love her like I love my work, then she is


    not worth the


    elfort


    His Ime made me remember our conversation from earlier, when I had stupidly blurted out that I did not


    want to be just another file for him to read and toss away.


    Was that the reason he didn¡¯t seem interested in me? Because I did not want to make him ignore his


    work? But then that would make him an inefficient King.


    While I wondered what went on in his mind, Cynthia slowly walked towards him and stood close to him,


    really close. Raising¡± and, she trailed her forefinger along his jawline as she whispered, ¡°sometimes


    the man has to put in a little effort too, your


    know, even if he is the Lycan King.¡±


    When he did not respond, she added, ¡°I know you just need a little push. We have worked all day. Let¡¯s


    have some fun. tonight¡±


    Author¡¯s note: Thank you for thements. I had fun reading through them, but I cannot confirm or


    deny any of it would happen, as it would be a huge spoiler.


    Question for today- So what is Cynthia after? Why does she want Cahan so badly, despite knowing


    he is cursed?

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Cynthia kept standing close to him, too close to him, pushing her chest on his and a hot wave of


    jealousy washed over me.


    ¡°Cynthia¡­.¡± Cahan replied wearily. He looked very tired and his eyes were drooping.


    She took his hand in hers and murmured. ¡°Yes, I know you wish to sleep. I want the same thing¡±


    And then she smiled at him deviously. Cahan gave her a tired smile, ¡°I will ask someone to take you


    to the guest bedroom¡±


    But she shook her head, ¡°No need, your majesty. I wish to stay close to you.¡± She then slowly trailed a


    hand over his shoulder and added, ¡°You are very tired after today. Perhaps, I should give you a nice


    massage. Help you release that stress¡±,


    Cynthia was speaking in a low, seductive voice. She had the confidence to speak the things she did


    and act like she was in charge. Compared to her, I was pretty timid and shy.


    I could not even imagine talking to the lycan King like that or being so bold in front of him. Though the


    question remained of why he allowed her to behave like this with him. Did he also like her to some


    extent?


    I remembered what she had told me earlier about how she was supposed to marry Cahan and be his


    Luna. Her father was a powerful alpha so I guess that is how alliances would work.


    Cahan slowly stepped away from her ¡°You are tired too. I think it will be best that you go to sleep and


    tomorrow morning we discuss the further uses.¡±


    Cynthia¡¯s smile wavered a little at his line but she quickly put up a bright suule again.


    ¡°No worries. At least, let me walk you to your room then?¡±


    Cahan did not deny so she simply fell in steps beside him and the two began walking up the stairs.


    I stood like a statue with my back stered to the pir and waited until the two climbed up the stairs


    and went towards his room. My gaze followed Cahan until he disappeared behind the walls.


    A torrent of emotions was coursing through me, making me wonder what was going on in my life.


    I had practically sprinted all the way down to see his face but he had returned with another girl and I did


    not even want to imagine what they had been doing all day.


    Cynthia would just never leave an opportunity to leave his side and roam her hands all over him. Why


    was she so hell bent on having him when she knew he was cursed?


    I gloomily went up the stairs and headed toward my room, all the while scolding myself for being so


    childish. When I got to my room. I simply pulled up the sheets and buried my head in them, willing


    myself to fall asleep.


    But it was to no avail. The entire night I kept tossing and turning in the bed while wondering what the


    two must be doing, if Cynthia had managed to convince Cahan to give him a massage, and if she


    was roaming her hands all over his bare back. There was a small beep sound and I recalled that I had


    been reading my text messages on the phone earlier. When I saw the screen, the phone almost fell out


    of my hands.


    It was a text message from none other than the Lycan King himself. I sprang up from the bed much


    more eagerly than I should have


    Pushing the hair out of my face, I hastily reached for the phone but realized that I had forgotten to


    charge it the entire day. The phone went dead and I cursed myself for my stupidity, not for the first time


    today.


    Jumping up the bed, I checked the drawers, found the charger, and connected the phone to it.


    Too nervous of what he must have sent, I began pacing through the room all the while ncing at the


    phone.


    Those seconds felt like hours as my gaze swayed from the clock to the phone and finally, when the


    battery showed the slightest sign of life. I took the phone to open the text message.


    I had never been so disappointed in my life.


    The text message only read


    -Stay in the mansion-


    What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why was he telling this to me in the middle of the night?


    No ¡°how are you¡± or ¡®how was your day¡¯ or any mention of the night before? Was I just a toy to y


    with for him?


    I had no doubts that Elijah had already told him about my visit to the packhouse and what Elder Lina


    must have thought of


    1.


    Cahan was so rude, and so blunt to me for no reason. I almost threw the phone on the bed and


    decided to behave tit for


    LaL


    If he was going to pretend I did not affect him so be it. I had my training regime to follow. I would


    awaken my wolf and be a strong she wolf soon. I promised myself.


    When I looked at the watch, it was already nearing dawn. There was no point in trying to sleep so I got


    up from the bed and headed for a quick shower.


    Putting on my ck leggings and a white sports bra, 1 topped it up with a loose t-shirt, grabbed a


    bottle, and headed outside.


    Taking out my phone, I messaged Elijah.


    -Where are you? I am ready to tram-


    While waiting for his reply, I headed outside the open garden. It was still early morning and the servants


    were just getting ready for the day¡¯s work.


    The air was pure and a little cold. I stepped outside on the grass and took in lungfuls of air when I


    heard Elijah¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Oh someone is ready to rumble.¡±


    I turned around and waved at hun. Elijah was also in his training equipment and his hair was a little


    unruly.


    His eyes crinkled when he smiled at me.


    ¡°Only if you help me. I have not received adequate training from anyone, much less a gamma of the


    Lycan King himself.¡±


    Elijah came near me and said reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I think you are going to smash it.¡±


    I nodded and he asked, ¡°So we will start with something light. I don¡¯t want you to have cramps and sore


    muscles on day


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    one.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let us do it¡±


    With Elijah, I felt much more rxed andfortablepared to his alpha King whom I did not want


    to think about.


    ¡°Great so for starters, I want you to run through the perimeter of the garden. No need to cover the


    backyard as well. I will time you and let us take it from there, alright?


    I nodded my head and tied any shoces firmly.


    ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°On your mark, get set, go¡±


    Elijah signaled and I shot forward. The air was cool and it was so refreshing to have somebody to train


    with.


    I put all my energy and focus on running and soon I felt myself sweating a little. A few bones in my


    ankle twitched as I gave them sufficient movement and my back which had felt rigid a few minutes ago


    felt a lot less still


    I returned to Elijah who was doing some warm up


    Panting a little I asked, ¡°How was it?¡±


    Elijah looked at the stopwatch and replied. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    I gave him a small smile while dabbing the sweat on my forehead. ¡°Think you can do one more? Just


    focus on your posture a little while running¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked and Elijah stepped forward, ¡°I saw that your back was stiff and you were


    throwing your legs too far in an attempt to have longer strides.¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?¡±1 enquired in a small voice.


    ¡°No, not necessarily. But while jogging or sprinting, keep your legs closer to your body. Take short


    strides but faster. You are not running a marathon right?¡±


    I nodded as he gave me a few more tips.


    ¡°Ok now off you go¡±


    I smiled at him as he clicked the stopwatch and I started my secondp. However, I focused on my


    mistakes from earlier and returned to him, a little out of breath this time.


    ¡°Now?¡±


    1 asked and Elijah looked at the stopwatch. ¡°Progress¡±


    I beamed at him, feeling ted, but then a voice reached my ears, ¡°You call that progress?¡±

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    I turned around to see Cynthia walking towards us. She was in training gear too but unlike me who had


    almost every inch of her body covered, she strutted forward wearing a sports bra and tight fitted shorts


    that left little to the imagination.


    Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she came walking towards us with an air of superiority.


    Elijah gave her a small smile and Cynthia came near him. She took the watch from him and looked at


    the timer on the stopwatch.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Hmm, she could certainly do better¡± Cynthia mumbled and I saw the way she ced a hand on


    Elijah¡¯s shoulder, leaning


    on him


    Elijah replied, ¡°Good morning. I did not know you were around.¡±


    Cynthia gave him a sweet smile. ¡°I did not know I was going to be here either. But you know how the


    King is. He wanted to discuss a few more uses and needed me. So here I am¡±


    I noticed the way she emphasized on the words ¡®needed me¡¯ and tried to ignore the dread settling in


    me.


    I had to focus on strengthening myself and making it easy for me to shift and meet my wolf soon.


    Thus, I only looked at Elijah and asked, ¡°What should I do next?¡±


    Elijah had opened his mouth to reply but Cynthia answered, ¡°Hey, how about this? We can train


    together. I could also teach you some shLIE¡±


    I wanted to say ¡°No thanks¡± but I would look rude if she was acting nice.


    Elijah too added, ¡°Oh that will be a great idea¡±


    Cynthia pped his shoulder yfully and added, ¡°Now that¡¯s what I am talking about.¡±


    I wondered what had gotten into her to suddenly want to spend time with me. Would she not want to


    wag her tail in front of Cahan?


    I asked hesitantly. ¡°That is great. I thought you said you had to work with the lycan King on something?¡±


    I offered her a small smile while trying to figure out what was going on in her head


    She flicked her hair, the ponytail swaying in the air as she replied, ¡°Oh yes. But he had some other


    work to do first, probably visiting the pack. Then we would be having all day to discuss whatever we


    wanted.¡±


    Her eyes twinkled with excitement and I tried not to show how it affected me. Elijah pped his hands


    together and replied, ¡°So,dies, want to race a little? Though this should be a friendly race. I will time


    you both.¡±


    Cynthia came to stand beside me and pped my shoulder yfully. Though in my case, she was a bit


    too harsh in my opinion. But I did notment on it.


    ¡°Great, let me warm up a little¡±


    She said and then began twisting her body and jumping up and down while Elijah walked to the side to


    grab a bottle of


    water.


    ¡°Oh lord, yesterday was such a great day¡± She muttered and I replied, ¡°I guess so¡±


    She was doing some light jumping as she added, ¡°Yeah, I hope Cahan will be a little slow today. I


    honestly can¡¯t keep up with his pace. And, honestly, his eyes make me melt¡±


    She winked and I could only furrow my eyes in confusion.


    Where was she going with this and why tell me?


    I shook my head when Elijah returned and asked, ¡°Ready?¡±


    We both nodded and she shot forward like a lightning bolt. She had turned into a blur and had circled


    back to him while I had barely crossed a few steps.


    Elijah too looked at her in confusion. ¡°Uh, I thought we were going to jog?¡±


    Cynthia pped a hand on her forehead, ¡°Oh right. So silly of me. Let us do it again.¡±


    Elijah nodded and looked at me. ¡°You might want to run from the starting point again.¡±


    I took a step in his direction but Cynthia stepped towards him and took his hand in her own, pping it


    yfully.


    ¡° please, cut the girl some ck. Let her start from where she is. A few steps don¡¯t make much of a


    difference. Right?¡±


    She turned to me and I smiled warily at her.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it¡±


    ¡°Though thisp is quite short. Let us circle through the entire mansion. It will be fun.¡±


    I did not object and we began sprinting. Elijah gave me a thumbs up and I smiled at him before we ran


    towards the garden and away from him. I thought Cynthia would run forward and again finish thep in


    an instant but she matched my pace instead of shooting ahead.


    ¡°So, how are you feeling these days?¡±


    She asked and I answered, ¡°Not sure what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Oh, with you trying to shift. Have you gollen any better?¡±


    She asked and I tried not to frown. I had a long way to go


    ¡°Not yet But I hope I will¡±


    Cynthia gave me a sweet smile. ¡°Oh yes. Otherwise, it will look so bad for Cahan.¡±


    Now she had my attention. She sprinted forward while giving me a sympathetic look and I jogged a bit


    fast to keep up with


    her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She replied off-handedly as if we were discussing the weather.


    ¡°Well Lam not sure if you know this but Cahan has a strict no outsider policy. Many females tried to


    weasel their way into his pack but he stubbornly denied everyone. So imagine he look just one girl and


    broke his rule but the girl cannot even shalt it would harm hus reputation.


    She trailed off and my face fell


    I had never thought about that. Would I be a disgrace to him and his pack if I took forever to awaken ny


    wolf


    Her words made more confusing thoughts pop up in my head. Is that why Elder Lina lud asked me so


    many questions? Was the reputation of the pack and the Lycan King at stake? And is that why he had


    never taken me to meet them? Because he was ashamed of me?


    I almost slowed downpletely and stood stupidly by a lush green bush, wondering about all the


    questions.


    But Cynthia called me up from a little farther ahead, ¡°Heye on. What are you waiting for?¡±


    I looked up and replied, ¡°Nothing¡± and soon joined her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mostte bloomers get to meet their wolf. In fact, I heard of someone who awakened their


    wolves when they almost reached the age of 30,¡±


    My worries further began to gnaw at me as she came closer and patted my back reassuringly.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, you will be fine. Even if you awaken the wolfte, nobody is going tough at you.¡±


    Had she dismissed me as a potential threat after realizing that I had no wolf and that I had trouble


    shifting? She was there at the party when Cahan found me writhing on the ground and took me to my


    room.


    I had no doubts word would have slipped that I was ate bloomer,


    That could exin why she was suddenly being sweet to me. Though her kindness felt more like pity to


    me.


    I tried to keep a straight face as wepleted thep and reached Elijah a few minutester.


    By the time we reached Elijah, I was panting and gasping for breath. I felt so exasperated that I looked


    for a tree to lean on.


    Meanwhile, Cynthia looked like she had not even walked a few meters much less jogged the entirep


    with me.


    She stood happily chatting with Elijah as they both took a sip from their bottles and thenpeted with


    each other to find out who had the biggest biceps.


    That scene was a little amusing and 1 grabbed a towel, slowly wiping out the sweat while Elijah gave


    her a few tips too.


    I noticed the way she easily slipped her hand in his when she almost lost her bnce while trying to do


    a difficult step.


    Sigh.


    She was not at fault if I was a timid and weak girl. It was on me to be strong and not get jealous of


    her good looks, physique, and confidence.


    By now the sun had risen up and we were feeling the heat as we trained on the open ground. I saw a


    few servants pass by and they all bowed politely to Elijah and also Cynthia.


    A few looked at me but they merely smiled or just walked away. Maybe, I was the real odd man out


    here.


    Elijah¡¯s gaze fell on me and he asked, ¡°Should we call it a day already? You seen a little tired.¡±


    I took a sip from the bottle, not wanting to give up so easily though my feet had begun to ache a little.


    ¡°No, we can move to the next workout if you wish.¡±


    Cynthia looked at me with approval ¡°She is right. Don¡¯t you undermine her¡±


    Elijah made a face. ¡°Now you girls are just ganging up against me.¡±


    I smiled as Cynthia came near me to stand beside me and p my shoulder.


    ¡°You just wait till the treaty is signed. Once I marry Cahan and move in here, we both are going to


    make you do a hundredps.¡±


    She turned to look at me with an excited smile, ¡°Right girl¡±


    I did not affirm or deny it because something had caught my eye in the far back. A wall of muscle was


    walking towards us. and I could only stare at him.


    He was the man who always made my breath hitch whenever he showed up.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    From the hallway that opened up to the front yard, I saw Cahan walking forward. He was on the


    phone, talking to someone, and was oblivious to my presence.


    I simply kept looking at him as he strode forward with a rxed posture. His hair looked wet, and he


    was roaming his hands through those soft, silky strands while taking slow strides.


    But that was not what had me gawking at him. He was also in gym wear and goodness did he look fine.


    The white t-shirt perfectly covered his broad chest and seemed like it was tailor made to fit his body.


    And those ck gym shorts showed just how perfectly sculpted his entire body was


    Did this guy ever overindulge in eating? How could someone look like they spent all their day working


    in the office, yet look as if they had been sweating tirelessly in the gym?


    Cahan disconnected the call and slipped the phone into his pockets as he reached the door. I was


    standing a little to the side.


    All this time, Cynthia was talking excitedly with Elijah, who responded kindly to her.


    I doubted Elijah would ever be rude to anyone. He was always sweet and caring, just like my mother.


    He was a nice person to hang around with.


    Cahan walked down the small flight of stairs, and Elijah bowed to him almost instinctively.


    ¡°Good morning, King¡±


    Cynthia perked up upon seeing Cahan and she, too, immediately bowed.


    ¡°Good morning, King¡±


    I noticed that she bowed a bit too low for Cahan, giving him a nice view of her bosom that threatened


    to spill out of her sports bra.


    Cahan smiled at them both and replied, ¡°No need to be so formal¡±


    Elijah smiled in return, but Cynthia immediately sprang up towards him, taking his words to heart.


    She went near him and began talking to him softly, blushing a little.


    Elijah got busy on his phone while the two talked, and I saw the way Cahan did not step aside from


    her.


    She was whispering slowly and even reached for his hair to brush off the few drops of water trickling


    down his face.


    Cynthia seemed too confident of her marriage with Cahan now that she sensed I was very weak,


    both physically and mentally.


    Not that I cared.


    She could have him forever. Elijah had gotten a call, so he was busy talking to someone when she said


    her earlier lines of her marriage with Cahan.


    I was not sure if he heard it, but I simply decided to continue with training. I would not sit here and


    watch the two lovebirds indulging in their PDA.


    Thus, I cleared my throat and walked towards Elijah. ¡°Hey, I think you are going to be busy. So I think


    we can work out


    tomorrow.¡±


    Elijah looked up at me and gave me a small smile. ¡°Yes, I am sorry. I have to finish some tasks and


    also go round to the pack house.¡±


    for my


    usual


    I nodded my head. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Elijah showed me his phone. ¡°You have my number. Feel free to call me or message me if you need


    anything.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±


    I said and went back to collect my bottle and towel from the side. And when I looked up, my gaze met


    that of Cahan.


    His golden eyes were staring at me and I felt as if I was trapped in his gaze. Those eyes shimmered


    lightly, the sun¡¯s rays falling on the golden specks and making his eyes look even more mesmerizing.


    The way he was standing, his eyes did not look purely golden but more of a dark shade of brown with


    golden flecks in it.


    It made him look even more ethereal and half of my mind wanted to inspect those eyes from up close,


    catch the way the sun reflected on those honey pools and soak in their warmth.


    But after I got over the fact that he was looking at me, I noticed a bit toote that his gaze did not hold


    any warmth or


    Chapter 72 affection.


    It was cold, distant and remote, just like him. Maybe he was not happy that I had not greeted him.


    So I gave a short bow and greeted him ¡°Good morning, your highness¡±


    Cahan did not respond, but neither did he look away. His gaze was unnerving, and I promptly began


    walking away, not wanting to be around if he was still being rude.


    I had only taken a few steps forward when Cynthia suddenly remembered that I existed. She called out


    my name shortly.


    ¡°Hey Zenovia, we are not done yet.¡±


    My back was facing her, so thankfully I got the chance to roll my eyes at the grass instead of her and


    turn around with a


    confused face.


    ¡°I think it was enough for the first day. See you again¡± I tried cutting the chatter and was about to step


    forward when she added,


    ¡°No, we barely started. Come on, it will be fun. Now, we also have the Lycan King with us.¡±


    That was the exact reason I did not want to be around.


    I let out a frustrated groan and faked that I was tired.


    ¡°I am sure you guys will have a lot of fun. But I am really feeling exhausted. Plus, Elijah will be training


    with me regrly, so I am fine.¡±


    1 gave her a smile and decided to leave before she found any more reasons to make me stay. I did not


    wait for her reply, and she only muttered, ¡°Okay¡± before turning to face Cahan.


    1 had not bothered to look at him, but I could feel his eyes on my back as I left. They could train with


    each other all they wanted. I wasn¡¯t going to stay around and watch them.


    But when I did manage to run towards the door. I heard a voice, ¡°If you want to awaken your wolf, you


    have to train a lot more.¡±


    It was the voice of Cahan. Okay, so now he wanted to talk to me?


    Why was he acting so weird?


    I turned to look at him and had an angry retort on my mind, but knew better than to argue with him.


    ¡°I understand, but I will do some light exerciseter if I feel like it, your majesty¡± I purposely stressed on


    thest two words and saw the way he reacted.


    A muscle in his jaw ticked, telling me it irked him.


    ¡°Get her to train. I don¡¯t want any weaklings in my pack,¡± He ordered Cynthia, who promptly came


    running towards me.


    She grabbed my hand and whispered. ¡°I told you he doesn¡¯t likezy people¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Had she just called mezy? I worked like a ve all day in my pack and barely survived on crumbs,


    yet never failed to perform my duties.


    Theck of a proper diet had left me weak, not myziness. Cahan walked away and headed


    towards the inside of his mansion while Cynthia began dragging me to wherever they were going.


    Cahan soon entered a huge, spacious room that I found out to be a gym.


    ¡°Ooh, are we going to train here today, King?¡± Cynthia asked excitedly.


    Cahan looked at her and replied, ¡°Yes, if people can keep up with me.¡±


    I felt somehow that the snide remark was for me. Cynthia suppressed a chuckle at the way he was


    behaving and then urged. me to get going.


    But I was too busy staring at the huge ce. It seemed never ending. There were machines and


    equipment, all looking shiny and brand new, while a soft carpet covered the gigantic space.


    There was a floor length mirror on one of the walls that ran along the length of it and a separate section


    in a corner was where all the dumbbells and other essories were kept.


    ¡°This is Cahan¡¯s personal training space. You better start moving¡±


    She whispered, but I clearly did not feel her excitement. He was the King so wasn¡¯t he supposed to


    have all the luxuries? What was so special about it?


    I looked around, spotted a treadmill, and hopped on it.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Cynthia¡¯s mischievous grin was barely detectable as she leaned in close to me, her voice a low murmur


    that dripped with challenge. ¡°Hey, Zenovia, bet you can¡¯t oust me on the treadmill.¡±


    I arched an eyebrow, locking my eyes with Cynthia. Seriously this girl was being super weird today.


    ¡°Lagree¡± I replied and hopped on the treadmill. Though in my head I said, ¡®Go wag your tail in front of


    your stupid lycan king instead of talking to me


    And, though it hurt to admit it, that was the truth. She had a wolf, I didn¡¯t.


    She was supposed to be stronger and tougher than me.


    Cynthia might have said something but I did not hear the words as the sound of the music system


    turning on distracted me. And I was thankful for that.


    While I fumbled with the numerous buttons and figured out how to get the treadmill working, she


    walked around merrily and turned the music system on.


    My gaze drifted to Cahan while trying to turn on the stupid machine, I think he noticed I was having


    troubles but he did. not try to help. In fact, he looked away when our gazes met.


    ¡°Ohe on, girl. I will not use my wolf strength, I promise. Just want to give you some motivation¡±


    Cynthia came near me and pushed a few buttons, making the machinee to life. She cocked her


    head to the side, looking eagerly at me.


    We never spoke about the ball and her friends¡¯ ganging up against me because I had faced such


    bullies all my life. Sid used to be one so I had learned to ignore them.


    She lowered her voice and added, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him say he doesn¡¯t want weaklings in lus pack? I


    am trying to help you.¡±


    Though I had no doubt Cahan could hear her despite being a few feet away from us. Had I not been


    annoyed at him, my gaze would have wanted to admire the grace with which he moved and the way his


    posture never slumped as he began to


    exercise.


    He had just called me weak and I wanted to show him I was not. More than to him, I wanted to show it


    to myself.


    I had been called weak all my life so the word hurt even moreing from him. And even if I lost, the


    worst would happen is they wouldugh at me, which I thought they did anyway. I did not mind that.


    ¡°You¡¯re on,¡± I retorted, a fire flickering in my eyes..


    ¡°Oh nice, you got back your motivation¡± Cynthia chirped as she got on the treadmill beside me.


    ¡°Hey King, would you watch over us and decide who did the best?¡± She asked but Cahan merely


    shrugged.


    ¡°I have my own training to do. Just try not to pass out¡± He said, again while looking at me instead of


    her.


    My skin prickled with heat at his gaze but my mind was focused on the words that left his mouth.


    Cynthia¡¯s response was casual, a dismissive shrug apanied by a sly smile. ¡°Just a friendly


    competition, Cahan. Testing


    our endurance. We won¡¯t kill each other.¡±


    Cahan did not respond and he walked towards the section where the dumbbells were kept. Sliding


    two big ones across a rod he got it over a bench.


    I saw the way he rxed his muscles first and loosened his body before going forward and beginning


    to lift that thing.


    The weight he had thrown in was definitely not something I would be able to pull off but he began to do


    it quite easily.


    Meanwhile, Cynthia touched a few buttons on both our treadmill screens and said, ¡°Watch out¡±


    I couldn¡¯t let my racing heart show because it was so damn hard to tear my gaze off that handsome


    man.


    ¡°Hey¡± She waved her hand in front of me, ¡°Focus,¡± She said a little sternly and I shook my head.


    It was an opportunity, a risky one, but an opportunity to finally shatter Cynthia¡¯s perception of me as the


    weaker one.


    We began running and it was slow and leisurely at first but soon Cynthia subtly pressed a button on my


    treadmill, increasing the pace just enough to throw me off.


    ¡°Push your limits¡± She whispered and I nodded my head, trying to focus on the task at hand. My legs


    felt a little sore after I had run almost two or threeps before she showed up but it did not matter.


    She had a wolf and I did not, so I would have to work hard if I wanted to awaken my wolf by the next


    full moon.


    My urge to meet my wolf and shiftpletely fueled me as my heart pounded in rhythm with my


    footsteps.


    ¡°You can do this. It¡¯s just running. Just a silly challenge. But it¡¯s for standing up for myself¡­ maybe this


    will show him I¡¯m not some delicate flower.


    I said to myself.


    I was beginning to feel the heat in my body due to the running and sweat was trickling down my


    forehead but beside me, Cynthia was having no tough time at all.


    She would asionally look at Cahan and I could clearly see the way she gawked at him as her


    eyes darkened with pure


    lust.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he look sexy when he is working out?¡± She giggled as if sharing her thoughts about her crush


    with her close friend. When did I be her close friend?


    I did not answer and neither did look his way.


    Cahan finished his set of bench presses and got up from his bench. The moment he did, Cynthia¡¯s


    wicked whisper cut through my thoughts, aimed like a dagger at my determination.


    ¡°Come on, Zenovia. Is that the best you¡¯ve got?¡±


    I was literally wheezing and my legs were beginning to give up.


    ¡°Let her go. She will probably pass out in the next five minutes¡±


    Cahan said and I saw the way Cynthia tried suppressing a chuckle. What did he think of himself?


    He had been doing this for years, working out day and night along with fighting rogues and other


    alphas¡­I was just starting.


    This was not fair.


    But then life had never been fair.


    My teeth gritted against the effort, sweat beading at my hairline. With each step, I felt Cynthia¡¯s


    challenge like a weight on my shoulders, pushing me to prove myself.


    Cynthia¡¯s grin stretched a little wider, a predator reveling in its prey¡¯s struggle. My legs were turning to


    lead, but I clenched my fists, vowing not to falter.


    My internal voice rose above the whir of the machines. ¡°I won¡¯t give in. Not to Cynthia. Not in front of


    Cahan. I have to show them both that I¡¯m stronger than this. I have to meet my wolf¡±


    My chest was heaving up and down while Cynthia was running as if she was taking a stroll in the park.


    And I hated this, hated myself for being so weak.


    Cynthia¡¯s taunting voice was a persistent mosquito in my car, pushing me to the brink. ¡°Zenovia, you¡¯re


    falling behind. I thought you had more fight in you. But if you are tired, let us stop.¡±


    I did not answer but just shook my head.


    My face was red and I closed my eyes as the effort to keep moving was too much for me to bear.


    The burn in my muscles intensified, my breathing in ragged gasps. But amidst the struggle, a


    fierce determination ignited within me.


    And when I opened my eyes, I saw a pair of eyes glued to me. Seeing that I was not willing to stop,


    Cahan looked at me intently. He had opened his mouth, probably to pass another crude remark or


    something but I did not care.


    I would not let either of them think of me as a weakling


    I wouldn¡¯t let Cynthia¡¯s mind games break my resolve. Not now, not ever.


    My focus zeroed in on the treadmill¡¯s disy, my world reduced to the numbers ticking by. The race


    was no longer against Cynthia ¨C it was against my own limitations. I pushed harder, gritting my teeth


    against the pain.


    Cynthia¡¯s astonishment was evident as I put in everyst bit of energy inside of me to match her pace


    and then surpassed it.


    And the moment I did that, it was as if my legs could not move anymore. I would fall on the treadmill,


    probably hit my head on the machine, and sprain an ankle but my body just couldn¡¯t obey my brain¡¯s


    commands to push the


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    stop button


    I went limp and felt disoriented as the world around me began to swim. I fell but not on the machine or


    the carpet.


    I fell into a pair of strong arms that broke my fall. I think I even heard somebody scream unhappily


    when that wall of muscle not only held me close but then picked me up and began carrying me.


    I was too exhausted to even respond but through a blurred eyesight, I saw Cynthia bber something.


    Cahan turned to look at her and red, ¡°I told you both to stop. Now, stay right here.¡±


    Seeing his gaze, Cynthia stopped screaming but I could see the disappointed look on her face as


    Cahan carried me to my room, bridal style.


    Thest thing I remembered was being wrapped in his arms and I knew I was safe. Thus, my mind


    nked out the next second when I felt his hands around me.


    Author¡¯s note: Since many readers asked, daily updates will begin tomorrow and continue for the rest


    of the month(if there is no unexpected dy) Stay tuned!!

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    Cahan


    This girl was mad, quite literally.


    The more I tried to run away from her, the more she pulled me close. And she did it so subtly, so


    unknowingly that it would always drive Beast mad.


    Zenovia was bing a drug, an addiction I had gotten used to.


    Her little framey in my hands and she rxed visibly in my arms when I touched her. As if her body


    knew instinctively that she was going to be safe, that nobody would ever harm her while I was around


    That made me feel euphoric and wanted.


    Cynthia had been challenging her to a race and I did not interfere just to see how she would react. I


    knew Cynthia did not really like her and I was eager to see their interaction.


    But surprisingly, Zenovia proved me wrong.


    Strength mattered in a person, always, but it was never just physical strength. It was the strength of the


    spirit, of the soul.


    And Zenovia might be physically weak but she had the heart of a warrior. 1 liked that quality about her.


    I never took strangers in my pack, I would send the weak and injured to the hospital and ask El or Matt


    to look for a suitable pack for them.


    But when I first saw her back at her school, hurling her bag at Matt, I knew she was a fighter.


    And then again when she had just woken up from her sleep in the hospital and I asked her to walk


    towards the door to prove she was fit enough.


    She had crumpled down on the floor midway but given her condition she should not have been able to


    even take a step.


    Somehow, I liked that she never tried to please me, never acted coy. She was headstrong even if she


    had been bullied all her life.


    §±ler cute little body in that tight track pants and tee, thoughpletely covered, did not hide her well


    enough from my


    eyes


    Especially because I knew how those legs moved, how that skin felt under my touch, and how she


    whimpered and moaned when I kissed her, when my hands caressed her.


    while running on the treadmill, she had been out of breath long ago but I just stood by the side, waiting


    to see how long she could go on, how long would it be before the warrior in her would give up.


    And I must say that I was not disappointed. Hell, I was proud of my littlemb.


    She had the face of an angel but the tenacity and grit of a devil. And I loved that about her.


    Beast, my lycan, was silently cheering for her, hoping that she would win, and was delighted when she


    actually surpassed Cynthia¡¯s speed.


    I knew how much effort it must have taken for her to do that, Ordinary humans did not have the


    strength of a wolf. Plus. Cynthia had been training for years, was the daughter of the most powerful


    alpha in my kingdom, and had received the best instructors to train her.


    Hence, even if this treadmill race was a small thing, for Zenovia, it was definitely a big achievement.


    I could not wait for her to grow strong, awaken her wolf, and shift. The thought turned me on to see her


    wolf but I had to hold myself back.


    I had to resist the temptation, especially after what Drusi had told me a few days back. The thought


    had left me truly shaken and worried about Zenovia. Since then I decided to put some distance from


    her.


    But now, she was safe in my arms and I could not help but gaze at her as I carried her up the stairs to


    her room.


    Zenovia was drenched in sweat, and her heartbeat had quickened. She had passed out but I knew the


    determination that she showed would soon help her find her wolf.


    And I wanted to be around during her first shift. I hoped to see her transform into the glorious she wolf


    she would be. I reached the floor of her room, gently pushed the door away with one of my legs,


    and walked in.


    Careful not to wake her, I slowly put her on the bed and went to throw open the windows. The A.C.


    would be too cold for her and she had to cool down at a natural speed so the breeze flowing through


    the windows would help.


    She groaned a little when I was trying to put her feet together and I could not help but touch her calves.


    She groaned again. She had overexerted herself and her muscles would be stiff and sore if she did not


    loosen them.


    But given that she was passed out, it would not be possible.


    I could simply ask Maria to give her a small massage but Maria was busy in the kitchen.


    ¡®Liar, why don¡¯t you admit that you can¡¯t keep your hands off her Beast spoke in my head.


    *Shut up, I am not a creep to touch her when she is asleep¡± I retorted to my lycan in my head who


    chuckled softly.


    Sitting on the edge of the bed, I slowly reached for her feet and took her shoes off. Then, I slowly pulled


    them away and took the socks off as well.


    Her feet looked red and sore so I began gently massaging her feet and heels. I heard the sigh leaving


    her lips and the way she twitched in her sleep, her body telling me that she needed this.


    I slowly knead my fingers, massaging her skin and allowing blood to flow and her muscles to rx.


    Seeing that she was not waking up, I gently pulled up her track pants, only to her knees, and rolled


    them up.


    Then I began massaging her calf too. It felt rigid and stiff like a board so hopefully this massage would


    allow her to walk a little when she woke up.


    After around 20-25 minutes, I had turned her on her back and rubbed her back, shoulders, and legs


    along with most of the pain points I knew needed some gentle massaging.


    When I turned her back after I was done. I got up to leave, not wanting to stare stupidly at her face. But


    then her hand reached for mine.


    I felt a little spark ignite in me when her fingers curled around mine. Was she really passed out or was


    she just acting?


    No, she could not. No human would have the energy to act like this after burning themselves out.


    A small smile appeared on my lips when I saw her behave like that. A weird fluttering sensation erupted


    in my stomach that I told myself was because ofck of sleep and an empty stomach.


    I hesitated for a second as she let go of my hand and then moved her head to the side, some of the


    hair falling on her face. The sweat had dried away a hit but some of it was still on her face, making her


    hair stick to her skin. Her hair was now stered to her face.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do it,¡± Beast remarked as if challenging me to do the opposite and I smirked,


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to


    Beast made an indignant sound and I ignored it as I slowly walked out of her room and closed the door


    behind.


    She needed to rest but she would also need to eat something healthy and filling so that she does not


    pass out again.


    Hence, I climbed down the stairs and looked for Maria.


    ¡°Maria, where are you?¡±


    Maria was, as expected, in the kitchen. She had an apron tied to her dress and bits of powder clinging


    to her hair.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± she came running outside and I muttered,


    ¡°Zenovia is burned out. When she gets up, give her something light at first, maybe orange juice or


    something, and then get her to cat some protein. But don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    Maria nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes sure. In fact, even Elijah gave me a big list of things she was supposed to


    eat in greater quantities and then some that she had to consume in moderation.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°El


    Marai nodded again, ¡°Yep. I have a diet chart given by gamma Elijah for Zenovia.¡±


    ¡°Great¡± I mumbled and Maria walked away.


    I tried to look unaffected by it. It seemed that my gamma was getting too interested in her.


    -I shook my head. Elijah just was too sweet and loved helping everyone. I was getting too carried away


    with my emotions.


    Or rather, it was my lycan, Beast, who was toying with them.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Beast.


    My lycan, who would soon takeplete control over me if I did not do something about it.


    Was he the reason I felt this urge to not take my eyes away from her whenever she appeared? Why


    her?


    What was Zenovia to me? My breeder? My bane? Or my boon?


    And why did I feel this irresistible pull toward her as if she was the only thing that would keep me sane


    and alive?


    I stood there as these confusing thoughts churned through my head.


    And as if in response to the questions, a voice reached out to me, breaking me out of my trance,


    ¡°Because she is your tether¡±

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    I turned around so fast that I thought I would break my neck. And I was relieved to see Drusie


    walking through the


    main entrance.


    I sagged in relief and muttered, ¡°I was beginning to think that you had left me for good¡±


    Drusi pushed her hands into the pockets of her pants and gave me a smug look. ¡°Not in this life, at


    least¡±


    I shook my head and then she let go of her earlier attitude and came running towards me. I pulled her


    into a hug as she patted me on my back.


    ¡°Mr. Lycan King, I have some news for you¡±


    I went rigid at that. Drusi had been gone for a long time, looking for a solution to break my curse


    while I managed the kingdom and the pack.


    ¡°We can talk about itter. Right now I am ravenous¡±


    She muttered and dragged me to the dining table.


    ¡°Maria!!¡± Dru shouted and Maria came outside the kitchen again, smiling at her. ¡°Just right in time for


    lunch¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit early for lunch?¡± I asked, but my best friend ignored me.


    Drusi gave her a bright smile, and we walked towards the dining table. I was not really in the mood to


    eat, but with her around, I would force some food down my throat.


    Drusi was the one person outside of my pack that Ipletely trusted and knew that she would


    never, ever betray my


    trust.


    My pack and the other alphas were honor bound to save me, but she wasn¡¯t. So I felt a different kind of


    ease with her.


    While we both made our way towards the dining table, I chatted with her.


    ¡°How was your journey?¡±


    Drusi replied, ¡°A little tiring and I am not sure if it was as rewarding as I hoped it to be¡±


    She tried to hide her disappointment, but I only gave her a reassuring smile.


    ¡°We still have time, don¡¯t worry¡±


    While we approached the dining table, Cynthia stepped out of the gym. She saw us and waved at Dru.


    ¡°Hey, nice to see you again¡±


    Drusi gave her a curt smile. ¡°Hey¡±


    Cynthia then looked at me. ¡°Are you done with training for today? We barely started¡±


    She looked hopefully at me but I shook my head. ¡°We will continue tomorrow. And you still have that


    file to read through¡±


    I reminded her gently. I did not want her around while talking to Drusi, as the information she would


    share was strictly confidential.


    As much as Cynthia liked me, I knew she could not keep things to herself and would somehow blurt it


    all in front of her father.


    Cynthia¡¯s face fell as she twirled the end of her ponytail. ¡°Oh well, then I will go get showered and join


    you guys to eat¡±


    But I did not want her to. She was not a bad girl, just the jealous type, and always behaved like a puppy


    that would do whatever it took to please me, but I somehow just could not feel anything for her.


    Though she would never stop trying.


    ¡°Well, I thought you had to return to your home before lunch today?¡±


    Cynthia pped her forehead. ¡°Oh yes, Ipletely forgot that Dad was going to hold a lunch with all


    the alphas to discuss some key points.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Then it would not look good if you were not around. You know what my points and uses


    are, ry them on my behalf to others.¡±


    Her face had begun to crumple again, but she looked at me with a smile when I said that.


    ¡°Sure, King. I would be your spokesperson¡±


    ¡°Great, now hurry up. The driver knows where to drop you¡±


    shall


    ¡°See you soon, King. Our meeting and dinner date is still pending¡± She looked at me coyly but I only


    gave her a small smile.


    She then walked away happily, bouncing on her heels as Drusi looked at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°You sure know how to keep someone dangling¡±


    I scoffed and pulled a chair to sit down. ¡°I am just not being rude to her¡±


    Drusi picked an orange slice from the bowl of fruit and popped it into her mouth.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that.¡±


    I shrugged and reached for one too and put it in my mouth.


    Drusi kept watching the retreating figure of Cynthia, who was climbing up the stairs and disappeared


    from view.


    ¡°When are you going to tell her that you don¡¯t see yourself with her?¡± She asked, her eyes narrowing


    on me.


    I picked the bread from the te in front of me and began buttering it.


    ¡°Well, she wants to try hard and her father is useful to me. She knows that our union, if it ever happens,


    will be purely for a strategic purpose.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the way she looks at you, though? I think she hates me for being your close friend.¡±


    I chuckled. Girls always get jealous over petty things.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care. You are my best friend and will always be


    Drusi smiled, and we finished the breakfast while chatting happily. When we were done, she asked


    me to join her in the office, saying that she wanted to discuss something in private.


    on the huge table.


    I tensed, but followed her to the office, nheless. Drusi softly opened the door and ced her diar


    She approached her favorite spot like usual, and stood looking outside the window, leaning on the


    window frame.


    ¡°These visions, I am not sure if they are a boon or a curse.¡±


    She looked troubled and I could tell that the earlier cheerful chat had just been a facade. She needed


    some time to gather her thoughts ande to some conclusion before she shared it with me.


    Drusi spent a lot of time thinking and trying to put the puzzling pieces together which made her talk


    less.


    ¡°You saw something again?¡±


    I asked, but she did not answer me. Instead, she asked another question.


    ¡°The pain you would feel asionally whenever Zenovia was around or near you. Is that still there?¡±


    I quirked an eyebrow. ¡°What pain?¡±


    She replied in the same tone. ¡°Remember the ache you felt in your chest when we were outside her


    school? The first time you saw her? Did it ever return after that?¡±


    I was about to say ¡®You are overthinking¡¯ or something, but then I took a pause. I had never really


    thought of it. But if Dru was asking about it, it definitely wasn¡¯t for chitchat.


    ¡°Not really. No?


    ¡°Hmm, so don¡¯t you think


    stop and look for her in thy guess was correct? She is the right fit to be your anchor, and that pain was


    a sign for you to


    stop and look for her in the school instead of wandering through the entire kingdom.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°But you saw her. She has not even awakened her wolf yet. She is also a little weak


    compared to others, but that is because she does not have a wolf to share strength with.¡±


    Dru absent mindedly reached for the diary and began tracing her finger on the pages.


    ¡°I know, but I think it is high time you tell her everything¡­especially with the rogue King and her idiotic


    stepbrother chasing


    -her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping tabs on me,¡± I muttered, but she did not deny it.


    ¡°It is my duty to do so, plus my visions are not really in my control. They just show up at the oddest of


    times and tell me everything. Oftentimes they are a jumbled mess and I worry about everything


    unnecessarily.¡±


    ¡°So you saw everything? The rogue King and the stepbrother?¡± I could not help but ask.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Not really. As I said, sometimes I get fleeting visions. I wanted to warn you about¡­what was his name


    again?¡­ Sid¡­yeah, I saw him and Zenovia together and bits and pieces of everything. I simply pieced


    it together. And based on your reaction, I guessed it right.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°You did. But that doesn¡¯t help me a lot right now.¡±


    Dru leaned forward. ¡°It is your decision but I would still insist that you get her prepared. We are running


    out of time.¡±


    ¡°The fate and the Moon Goddess still hating me?¡± I asked sarcastically.


    She gave me a look but then stopped tracing her fingers upon the diary. ¡°The moon Goddess loves


    everybody equally, even those children of hers that hate her.¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°It is not that I hate your moon Goddess, I don¡¯t believe in her anymore.¡±


    Drusi mumbled, ¡°Anymore¡­.so there was a time you used to believe in her.¡±


    I warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t go there¡±


    Drusi shook her head but replied, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t go there, but if you wish to break this curse, you have


    to stop beating around the bush. And if you won¡¯t tell Zenovia anything, I will.¡±


    I looked at her with a firm resolve, ¡°No you can¡¯t. She just ran away a few days ago. Do you want her to


    run away again?¡±


    Drusi turned around and stood looking at me, her eyes narrowing at something


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Cal, you know she is going to be your anchor. You absolutely cannot start having feelings for her.¡±


    ¡°What are you even bbering about?¡± I countered in a rather stern voice. She did not miss noticing it.


    Dru came walking towards me and looked at me evenly. ¡°I¡­I was just saying that it could be


    dangerous. You know you cannot afford mistakes.¡±


    I let out a breath and walked towards the table, ignoring the fact that even the mention of Zenoyia


    made me feel restless. Had she seen visions of us together? Or how being close to Zenovia made me


    feel euphoric? But she would have mentioned it.


    ¡°I never agreed it was the right choice. You keep pushing it on me.¡±


    And she was quick to reply, ¡°Because we are running out of time. Time that we don¡¯t have. Time that


    YOU don¡¯t have.¡±


    I let out a mirthless chuckle. ¡°I care for every subject of mine. Even if he or she doesn¡¯t believe it.


    Zenovia is weak, so I want to give her time to awaken her wolf first and be strong enough to shoulder


    another responsibility, a big one at that. I hope theing full moon she will awaken her wolf. Then we


    can tell her everything.¡±


    ¡°Your Lycan.he-is fine, right?¡± She asked, looking at me curiously.


    ¡°Of course¡±


    Drusi took the diary off the table and clutched it tightly. That diary of hers was quite a bit of a mystery


    to us. She would scribble things in it and keep writing, but never showed anybody anything.


    I never tried to steal a nce inside because being nosey was not my style.


    She only grabbed the diary and said in a grim voice, ¡°You better be right about the fact that you only


    care about her, just like a subject. Or I am not sure how things will y out in the future

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Zenovia


    I was in dreand, covered in sheets and wrapped in it like a cocoon, when I heard a noise from the


    windows.


    My body felt stiff and sore as I groaned in my sleep and mentally hoped whoever it was to leave me


    alone.


    ¡°Shoo,¡± I muttered in my sleep, but the noise was persistent.


    It was an odd noise, like somebody was scraping their nails on the windowpanes. My eyelids felt heavy,


    and I groggily opened them while trying to look around.


    I didn¡¯t know Elijah was a prankster, but he was goofy, so he might have found a way to annoy me.


    When nobody answered, I pulled the pillows above my head and tried shutting my eyes again.


    There was a noise again,ing from the window. The odd scraping noise had returned.


    I felt so annoyed that I threw the pillows and finally opened my eyes to throw my fists at someone.


    But there was nothing. My room was empty.


    I looked around stupidly and muttered, ¡°Elijah, this is a very cruel way to wake someone up from


    sleep.¡±


    I waited for a minute or two, but Elijah did not reply. Frowning, I gathered the sheets and was about to


    pull them up over myself again when I saw the window.


    It was open, and the curtains were flying through the light breeze.


    ¡®But I had closed the windows before sleeping,¡¯ I thought and kept staring at the window stupidly.


    Letting out a sigh, I got up from the bed and went to close the window.


    ¡®Maybe I did not close it tight enough, I thought and shrugged.


    But when I reached the window and tried to close it, my gaze fell on the dense trees outside the


    mansion¡¯s huge gatedpound.


    A certain patch of trees was shuffling and I could see the leaves and branches rustle. Compared to


    that, the rest of the trees looked oddly still.


    I tilted my head and kept peering at the forest trees and I felt a strong pull towards it.


    Wanting to get a good look at it, I went back to my bed, grabbed my mobile, and switched on the torch.


    I tried to shine it on the forest but my idea was pretty stupid. The trees stopped rustling and my gaze


    automatically flicked in the direction of Cahan¡¯s office and I saw that the blinds were drawn.


    The light was switched on, so he was probably working in the office. Not that I could just barge into his


    office and talk to him or share my observations with him.


    Now that the sleep had been driven off my eyes, I could not let the thoughts of him and Cynthia


    spending all their waking time together get back to me.


    I would focus on training and keep pushing myself, just like


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I was about to close the windows, but I again felt that sharp pull. I could not exin it but somehow my


    body wanted to go to that exact spot where the trees were rustling.


    An inexplicable pull was dragging me towards it and though I tried to but?


    it deep down, I could not avoid it.


    I looked around and saw that most of the servants had retired to bed because it was the middle of the


    night and barely one


    or two guards were patrolling near the mansion. Most of them were around the huge gatedpound


    in the front.


    This was a good chance to step out and see whaty in the forest and why I suddenly feeling this pull.


    I was still in my pajamas but the coast was clear, so I slowly sneaked out of the room and was careful


    to not make any noise. I climbed down the stairs and pushed the main door open.


    Nobody was behind me, so I slowly walked through the perimeter of the huge mansion walls.


    There were a few small gates on each wall, probably to allow gardeners to trim the excess grass


    growing alongside the walls on the outside instead of going all the way to the front and then walking


    back to the spot.


    to walk back and forth.


    The mansion was very huge and I could only imagine how much time it would take just


    The gate was not locked thankfully and I looked back to check if anybody had noticed me. When I saw


    that there was nobody, I slowly sneaked outside the gate and stepped through the gate.


    And the moment I did, I felt something strange. There was a strange prickling on my skin, but when I


    touched my hand, there was nothing.


    I looked around, and the forest seemed perfectly ordinary to me.


    ¡°Strange,¡± I muttered and slowly stepped further away from the walls.


    The forest around me was green and lush. Soft grass crunched beneath my feet as I stepped through it


    to make my way into the woods.


    The trees wererge, and the canopy of leaves was quite dense.


    We werewolves stayed deep in the forest and ensured that ordinary humans would not get too close to


    us. Everywhere I looked, the scenery appeared the same to me. I was not sure how to pave my way


    through the forest and reach where I wanted.


    But the moment I thought that, the pull grew stronger as if guiding me to walk through the dense shrubs


    and reach the spot in the shortest possible time


    ¡®Stay in the mansion¡¯ That had been Cahan¡¯s only text that suddenly popped up in my head.


    I looked back, and the mansion¡¯s walls were still visible amid the towering grass and bushes.


    As long as I could see a glimpse of those walls. I would be fine. Or so I thought.


    I was not paying attention to the ground and my foot got caught in something. I looked down, and I saw


    that my feet had somehow gotten entangled in a vine.


    I shook it a bit, and the vine came off easily. Adjusting the strap of my sandals that I had hastily put on


    while running out of my room, I went further ahead.


    When I looked back, there was no sign of the mansion walls. It was as if I had crossed a long distance


    in a single step.


    Confused, I tried to get a good look, but the mansion walls had disappeared all of a sudden.


    ¡®But I had only taken a few steps forward, I thought worriedly and then heard something snap. I turned


    around wildly but was met with silence.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked, trying to sound brave, but I was scared.


    I felt something brush up my feet and saw that the vine was back on my leg. I tried to shake it off


    hastily, but this time it would not budge.


    Instead, the vine gripped my leg and coiled around my feet. I let out a startled cry and bent to take it off,


    but it had wrapped itself around my foot tightly.


    I looked around wildly, but there was nothing to free myself. I tried running away, but the vine dragged


    me down on the ground, smacking my body on the forest floor.


    I fell with a thud and screamed again as another vine began to coil itself around my body.


    The vines had sharp ck colored thorns, and they were piercing into my skin, digging deeper.


    I tried to grab hold of something, anything, as the vines began to drag me further inside. But my hands


    only reached bushes and thorny shrubs that further cut into my skin, making me wince.


    The vines suddenly began to pop up from everywhere, coiling around my entire body and arms to stop


    me from moving. I tried to scream. ¡°Help me¡± but the vines closed around my throat, muffling my voice.


    My lungs were burning, and the vines were choking me. I began to feel lightheaded and giddy as my


    vision blurred. My oxygen was being cut off and my eyes were closing when suddenly I saw a bright


    spot of light a few feet away from me.


    The bright light appeared to hurt the vines as they suddenly loosened their hold over me. The vines


    slowly unraveled themselves and shrank back as I gasped for breath.


    The light was too bright, and I raised a hand to protect my eyes while coughing and wheezing. Slowly,


    the vines left mepletely and slithered back into the bushes, leaving me alone.


    The bright light seemed to dim down, and I slowly lowered my hand. I wanted to thank my savior, but


    apparently, there was nobody around me.


    I looked around, but whoever my savior had been¡­was gone. I looked down at my body and the small


    cuts that had appeared on my arms and legs when the vines¡¯ thorns had cut me were nowhere to be


    seen as well.


    I rubbed my hands and legs, trying to feel the pain, but there was none either. I looked around wildly


    again and asked loudly.


    ¡°Hello? Who was that?¡±

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Zenovia


    My eyes roamed around nervously and I waited for a reply, but there was silence.


    Had I imagined all of it? Definitely not.


    So I tried again.


    ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to thank you for the help. Thank you for saving me,¡± I said and then a soft voice


    replied to me.


    ¡°Do not mention me to anybody¡±


    It seemed to reach my ears from behind. I turned around so fast that I felt I had snapped my neck. But


    the direction from which the voice hade was devoid of any living being.


    All I could see were leaves and branches. Why was this person ying hide and seek with me?


    ¡°B-but why are you hiding from me? I¡­I am not going to harm you,¡± I offered. I knew I did not look like


    a scary predator, but I could not understand what this person wanted from me.


    The voice let out a deep, rumblingughter. ¡°You cannot harm me, but the people around you can and


    will¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    The voice was speaking mysteriously, and I felt all the more intrigued.


    ¡°What people around me? Who will harm you?¡±


    The voice seemed to be of a female, but I could not quite ascertain the age of the woman based on just


    the voice alone.


    When I did not receive an answer, I asked again.


    However, instead of answering me, I received a question.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± The woman asked me instead, though she was still hiding from me.


    At least she was talking. Maybe she was just being cautious. But since she helped me, I decided to be


    honest.


    ¡°My name is Zenovia. What is yours? And why are you here in the forest? What were those vines?¡± I


    asked, but the woman dodged my questions yet again.


    The voice seemed to echo through the forest, not letting me trace it back to the location of the speaker


    who was lurking in the woods. At one point it seemed toe from the right, at others from the left, as


    if the speaker was circling me.


    Though how she was doing, it was a mystery to me.


    And just why was she not showing me her face?


    ¡°Zenovia. You are in grave danger. Do not trust those around


    I blinked. This mysteriousness was really confusing me.


    you.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about? Can you at least give me a name?¡±


    The woman took such a long pause that I feared she was never going to reply.


    ¡°The Lycan King. Do not trust him¡±


    The voice said, and then all of a sudden, the brightness disappeared. The forest was ck again, and I


    sensed that the woman was leaving¡­ to wherever she wanted to go.


    I quickly scampered back on my feet and tried to stop her. This was a weird encounter, but I needed


    answers.


    ¡°Hello? Why should I not trust him?¡±


    ¡°Because he will use you and throw you away when he is done with you. You are just a sacrificial


    lamb.¡±


    Her words held a bitter tone, but the way she spoke of Cahan told me she hated him to the core.


    ¡°W-why would you say that?¡± I tried again.


    Various thoughts were shing through my mind. Was there a rogue somewhere who wanted to hurt


    him? Was I being used as a pawn? But if she knew I stayed with him, why did she save me from the


    vines?


    The rogue King had tried to get to me through Sid so that he could use me as a leverage against


    Cahan. And Sid was convinced Cahan was not the man I wanted to be with. And now this woman,


    too, was saying that Cahan was not trustworthy.


    But why did my heart say otherwise?


    This was getting very confusing.


    I was so lost in thoughts that I did not even notice that she had not answered me yet.


    ¡°Will you answer me, please?¡±


    ¡°Mark my words, and if you want to thank me for saving your life, you shall do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust him and don¡¯t mention me to anybody.¡±


    ¡°B-but I don¡¯t even know who you are or what you want from me. You have not shown your face or told


    me your name. How can I trust you?¡±


    I countered. My question was a little stupid, but then I could not trust a stranger saying that Cahan


    was going to kill me.


    Granted, in the past, I had thought of him wanting to choke me to death, but he had gotten plenty of


    chances already to do


    1.


    Not that he was particrly nice to me or the sweetest gentleman I had evere across.


    But he would have killed me long ago if he wanted to, right?


    ¡°We will meet again.¡±


    She said, and before I could enquire further, a bright light shone on my face abruptly. It was so intense


    that I instantly shut my eyes.


    ¡°Ouch¡± I winced as I threw my hands in front of my face to block the intense light.


    After a while, I opened my eyes, and I looked around.


    And I was confused.


    What was I doing in the forest? How did Ie here? Had Cahan dumped me here in the middle of


    the night?


    I tried hard to remember, but my brain could not give me a single satisfactory answer to my questions.


    There was only a lingering feeling, a light caress on my mind as if I had learnt something important


    today.


    Something had told me that Cahan was not trustworthy.


    But what or who was it? I scratched the back of my head and tried to recall, but a sharp bolt of pain


    shot up my brain when I tried that.


    Holding my head in my hands, I stumbled back and looked around hazily. And when I stopped trying to


    recall, the pain disappeared too.


    Maybe my wolf was messing with my head. That was the only thing I could think of.


    When I looked up, the mansion walls were just a few feet away, so I began walking hastily towards the


    mansion. I did not want to be scolded again for being out of the safe walls that toote at night.


    I had bend to dust my clothes and was approaching the mansion simultaneously so I did not see


    ahead.


    And in my haste, I bumped into something hard.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± I muttered and felt as if I had walked into a concrete wall. But then two hands grabbed me by


    the shoulders and a familiar voice asked,


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    I looked up to see Cahan, and he was staring intently at me.


    He looked angry and upset with me, and I only folded my hands together as the cold breeze swept past


    me.


    ¡°I¡­no-nothing¡­just my wolf going crazy,¡± I mumbled as he looked back at the forest.


    ¡°What were you doing there all alone? You know there are rogues running loose. And the rogue King is


    looking for you. Do you not value your life?¡± He reprimanded me and I lied, ¡°Nothing, I just wanted


    some fresh air¡±


    I did not want to exin anything¡­because there was nothing to exin. Whenever I thought of why I


    hade here or how, my head would start hurting.


    Only the thought that I should not trust him was subtly poking at me, but I had no idea why that thought


    appeared in my


    head.


    I felt like trusting him. I wanted to trust him. But my mind was a mess.


    Probably my wolf wanted us to meet our true mate, and not be tied to a cursed lycan King so she was


    subtly telling my subconscious to stay away from him.


    That could be the only theory that made sense to me. And it made me feel a little relieved that my wolf


    was trying tomunicate with me¡­


    Cahan squinted his eyes, but did not say a word at my answer. He looked at the forest onest time


    as if some hidden enemy would spring up out of nowhere. When he was convinced there was no one


    around, he looked back at me again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you back inside¡± He curled his fingers around my hand and we began walking towards the


    mansion.


    Author¡¯s note: Hello my lovely readers, there seems to be a glitch in the system due to which chapters


    show up quitete after I post an update. Kindly be patient, the tech team will resolve it soon.


    Also, let me know your thoughts on the recent chapters.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Chapter 78


    Zenovia


    I nodded meekly, and we began walking inside. Cahan did not speak for the entire time it took him to


    drag me back inside the walls.


    But his hand never left mine. And I was busy trying to not melt under his touch while his hand held


    mine.


    His touch was warm and protective, a stark contrast to his bodynguage that was cold and distant.


    When we reached inside the gatedpound, he closed the gate and ensured that it was properly


    locked.


    Without a word, he again held my hand, making my heart race, and silently climbed up the stairs,


    walking all the way up to my room.


    When we reached, he made me sit on the bed and pulled a chair in front of me.


    I could feel his anger as he leaned forward and asked, ¡°Where is your phone?¡±


    I did not know where it was. I had forgotten all about it.


    ¡°It must be in the room¡­somewhere.¡±


    I mumbled while looking around. He scratched his temple and said, ¡°Get it¡±


    I only looked at him warily, but got up and looked for the phone. Had I put it in the drawers? Or maybe it


    had fallen down.


    I spent the next five minutes searching for it while he stayed where he was. I could feel the irritation


    bubbling inside of him as I searched for it.


    Finally, I tossed the sheets and saw it under them. Holding it in front of me, I went towards him.


    ¡°Open your messages¡±


    He ordered, and my heart ski pped a beat. I had not deleted my messages with Sid.


    What if he saw them? He would skin me alive.


    I could guess he was already thinking I had tried to run away for the second time. But how would I


    exin why I was outside when I could not remember it myself?


    Also, his bodynguage did not make me feel that he was in the mood to listen.


    I nodded and tapped on the message icon.


    ¡°Read the message I had sent¡±


    I gulped and tapped on the message.


    ¡°Read it aloud,¡± He said when I stayed silent.


    ¡°Stay in the mansion,¡± I read and he ordered.


    ¡°Repeat it¡±


    ¡°Stay in the mansion¡±


    ¡°Again¡±


    ¡°Stay in the mansion¡±


    ¡°Good. So you can read. But do you understand what it means?¡±


    He asked, and nodded meekly. ¡°I only left the mansion when Elijah apanied me outside to the


    pack house. I did not even know they all stayed at a different location or where it was.¡±


    But Cahan did not seem pleased with it.


    ¡°Did you force him to take you there? I know he is a sweet guy, so he never really says no to anyone.¡±


    I looked at him like a scared chicken.


    ¡°No, in fact, I told him that you would not like it. But he insisted that I shoulde along since now I am


    the member of the pack.¡±


    Cahan let out a sigh.


    ¡°Elder Lina, she was not happy with my decision. I had to spend a lot of time to appease her and I


    promised her that you would not let me down.¡±


    I fidgeted with my fingers.


    1/4


    11.99 r


    Chapter 78


    ¡°I know nobody likes me here or wants me. And when I think of going away, you don¡¯t like it either.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I blurted it out, but the way his eyes stared at me made me feel nervous.


    *I am the Lycan King. I make the decisions and others follow it. Elder Lina is just too protective of me


    and the pack and is a


    little old school.¡±


    I nodded at that.


    ¡°Why did you not reply?¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°I¡­I understand¡±


    But he let out a sigh again. ¡°To the text message.¡±


    Oh.


    ¡°I did not know what to reply,¡± I answered honestly, but his retnark was snarky. ¡°Ever heard of the


    words, yes or okay?¡±


    ¡°I will reply next time,¡± I mumbled, and he leaned back on the chair.


    ¡°Look, you know the rogue King is after you. I am still trying to find out who he is or why. But I guess he


    wants to get to me through you. The fact that I never take anybody in my pack but I took you makes


    them think you have a special ce in the pack. And I love my pack members and would not want any


    harm to befall them.¡±


    Was he ming me for putting his loved ones in danger? How was any of this my fault?


    ¡°I did not know you never took anybody in your pack. I was wondering why you did that, too.¡±


    I hoped he would answer. But he did not.


    ¡°You should better focus on training and bing physically fit. And if you want to run away, be strong


    enough to not need me to protect you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to protect me,¡± I snapped, and I realized I had raised my voice, but I did not care.


    He was always so snide and arrogant when he was around me. It was as if all the sweetness


    evaporated into thin air whenever he saw me.


    Cahan raised his finger and began counting, ¡°One- you ran away from your house and bumped into


    me, two- you went to that club and almost got drugged and kidnapped, three- you went to the forest in


    the middle of the night and almost got lost tonight. Every time, I had toe to rescue you. What are


    you? A damsel in distress?¡±


    His words were grating on me and I bit back my tongue to not retort angrily.


    ¡°I have a lot of things to do. And you not having a wolf makes me feel I have to pay more attention to


    you, like a nanny would have to look at a toddler who keeps running around. It¡¯s exhausting.¡±


    He said it wearily, and I felt tears brim in my eyes.


    ¡°I am trying, okay? I did not ask you to take me in. I did not ask you to keep me in this golden cage of


    yours. And I did not ask to be ate bloomer either. I want to meet my wolf more than anybody. Elijah is


    helping me to


    to train and grow strong. And when I do, I will not stay around to annoy you.¡±


    My hands fisted in the sheets with the effort to not straight up yell at him.


    ¡°You could do that right now as well¡­not annoy me.¡±


    A hint of a smirk crept up his face, which I ignored.


    ¡°Either way, I did note here to chitchat. This lover boy of yours¡­what was his name again? The


    one who tried to drug you¡­¡±


    ¡°He is not ¡®my¡¯ loyer boy,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    Cahan ignored my tone and muttered, ¡°Your boyfriend? He is your stepbrother, right?¡±


    ¡°He is not my boyfriend and his name is Sid¡± I was fuming, but Cahan was unbothered by my anger.


    ¡°Yeah him. How is he? I mean, as a person.¡±


    I had


    my heart jump in my throat the moment he asked me how he was. I feared he had somehow learned


    that Sid had tried tomunicate with me.


    But after hearing his next line, I rxed a little and answered.


    ¡°Shrewd and just a bully. But I think of him more as a person who is controlled by someone else, his


    mother, to be specific.¡±


    ¡°You mean your father¡¯s wife?¡± Cahan asked.


    The mention of my father made me feel uneasy. I did not want to discuss my family, not with Cahan,


    at least.


    He would but cher me for still wanting to save my father, despite knowing that he disowned me.


    Cahan did not believe in


    2/4


    11:30


    Chapter 78


    second chances, I assumed.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Do you think anybody apart from Sid might know of this rogue King? Your father or your


    stepmother?¡±


    I was not sure. My father ab id ed by the rulesid down by the King and was generally someone who


    would not be friends. with rogues.


    Though I could not say the same about Celeste and her son.


    So I answered honestly.


    ¡°I am not sure. I haven¡¯t met them since you brought¡­since I left the pack.¡±


    I corrected myself hastily.


    ¡°Hmm. I just thought you might know something. Guess not.¡±


    Saying so, he got up from the chair and began walking outside the door. And when he did, I suddenly


    wanted him to sit beside me and talk my heart out.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t go out alone. Until you are strong enough, at least.¡± He added when he reached the door.


    I looked up at him as his hand reached for the doorknob. ¡°And you did well on the treadmill earlier


    today. I¡­I didn¡¯t think you could¡­.¡±


    Had he justplimented me? Not that it sounded like one, but that was the nicest thing he had said to


    me in a while.


    ¡°Uh, thanks¡±


    The moment I said that, an odd grin shed on his face.


    ¡°Elijah is not going to be around for a while. If you wish to, you could train with me starting tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡±


    I mumbled, unsure of what to say next. Being near him made my skin pri ckle with a nervous energy. I


    did not answer him as


    I was contemting if I could stay in the same room as him and focus on the exercises.


    But before I could answer, he replied, ¡°See you tomorrow at 6 am or¡­¡±


    I kept looking at him curiously when he took a pause, but he did not finish his line. He simply shut the


    door and walked away, leaving me staring at the door.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Zenovia


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    I was not sure when exactly, but I fell asleep at some point, wondering what it would feel like to train


    with the Lycan King himself.


    I had left the window slightly open to let the soft breeze flow in and the sheets were soft and warm as


    well. My body did not want to get up, but the soft sunrays filtering in through the window were shining in


    my eyes.


    Pulling the pillows above my head, I groaned when my phone rang. It felt as if the universe did not want


    me to sleep.


    I ignored the ring, but the phone kept ringing, so I absent mindedly reached for the side table and tried


    to feel the phone.


    I was going to switch it off, but the caller¡¯s name caught my eye and my eyes flew wide awake.


    It was a call from Chan. Confused, I hit the receive button and croaked, ¡°Hello¡±


    ¡°Do you know what time is it?¡± His voice was curt and there was no softness to it..


    Rubbing my eyes, I looked at the time and saw that it was 9 am already.


    ¡°Uh, I overslept,¡± I mumbled while pushing myself up the bed.


    ¡°Get your ass down here in ten minutes or I wille up there myself¡±


    I would have argued that he did not have to train me or wait for me, but I also loved my life, so only


    replied, ¡°Yes¡± while springing up from the bed.


    I dashed to the bathroom door, quickly brushed my teeth,bed my hair and stripped off my pajamas


    to wear my track pants and a sports bra.


    My mind wandered to the more exquisite training clothing stacked neatly on the side of the huge


    wardrobe and for a split second, I wondered if I should wear


    any of it.


    Cynthia had worn a sexy outfit for training yesterday, and her athletic figure looked quite nice. But I was


    nowhere athletic, so I pulled up a t-shirt and covered my bare waist.


    Putting on the shoes, I quickly tied my unruly hair into a ponytail, grabbed a bottle of water, and was


    sprinting outside the room and down the stairs in no time.¡¯


    I ran towards the gym through the huge mansion and I internally reasoned that the sprint should count


    as a warm up because this ce was just never ending.


    When I reached the gym, the doors were wide open, and my gaze automatically searched for Cahan.


    I spotted him on the other end of the room by a huge machine. He had his back turned to me and was


    wearing ck shorts and a grey striped v¨¦st.


    I stood staring at him as he pulled the bars down with both his hands and the muscles on his shoulders


    alongwith his biceps. bulged.


    There was a certain finesse to his movements, a certain charm. Any other man would be grunting, but


    he looked like he was doing it effortlessly.


    ¡°Gawking at me will not help you train yourself¡±


    His voice shook me out of the trance like state as I had stopped myself by the door, leaning on the


    doorframe.


    Holinked rapidly and mumbled softly, ¡°I was not gawking¡±


    If he heard it, he did notment. I went toward the treadmill and hopped on it so as to start with light


    cardio..


    ¡°Once you warm up,e here¡±


    He again instructed without looking at me. The entire time, his back was faced to me as he picked


    some more metal discs and added weights to increase his difficulty.


    ¡°Ok¡±


    I replied and started running on the treadmill. It was unlike the scenes I had imagined in my head. He


    kept doing whatever he was doing while I kept running for about 20 minutes or so until I could not


    anymore.


    When I got down from the treadmill, I saw Cahan had left the machine and was walking towards me.


    ¡°You werete today,¡± He said while pulling out some dumbbells from the rack.


    ¡°I¡­did not realize,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°See if you can pick those up.¡± He ordered, and I bent down to do it.


    ¡°Easy?¡± He asked, and I nodded.


    ¡°Repeat it 30 times, 3 sets alternate with each hand.¡± Again, I nodded and began counting


    down/mentally.


    The dumbbells did not weigh much, but a repetition of 30 times made my hands ache a little. When I


    was done, I wondered what to do next.


    ¡°Have you ever done pushups?¡± He asked, and I shook my head.


    ¡°Not really¡±


    ¡°Try then if you can¡±


    I nodded to myself and got down on the floor, putting enough distance between my hands.


    I tried doing one, but the strain on my shoulders was too much to bear. I fell t on my face when I tried


    to do it again.


    ¡°You are doing it wrong,¡± He said and walked towards me. Squatting on the floor, he spoke, ¡°Dont be


    too rigid. And keep your toes straight along with your entire body, don¡¯t slouch¡±


    I was not sure how I could slouch while being on all fours, but I did not say


    that to him.


    ¡°Ok wait. Try with this,¡± He said and pulled a metal handle set with rubber grips from the side.


    ¡°These will help you with the grip. See if you can push yourself up using that¡±


    My fingers felt a little mmy, so I wiped them off on my track pants before curling my fingers over the


    handles.


    It did give me a better grip, but it was harder to push myself up. Cahan saw my struggle and, after


    two-three tries, asked me to get up.


    I did, and now he was standing directly in front of me.


    ¡°I think I now got a rough understanding of your strength. Forget the machines. Come here with me.¡±


    He said and made me stand in front of the huge mirror on the wall.


    ¡°I think your lower body is stronger than your upper body. That is the case with most girls, so you are


    no different. It is good that your legs are stronger, but when you run like a wolf, you need strength in all


    the four legs¡­.that means your hands and shoulders have to be able to carry the weight as well.¡±


    n


    I nodded in understanding as he exined. ¡°In the start, your wolf might depend on your physical


    strength until you learn to give herplete control and she adjusts to you. If in any case your wolf


    gets exhausted, she might want to borrow some strength from you. OR you both might pass out.¡±


    ¡°Put on those gloves,¡± He ordered when I did notment anything. I had carried bags of groceries


    and vegetables to and from the kitchen in my pack countless times, along with the overflowing baskets


    ofundry.


    When I did, he pointed at arge weight dangling down a hook.


    ¡°That is a punching bag. Show me what you can do¡±


    I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, but he did not reply. I went to the bag, pulled my hand back,


    and punched it.


    But it didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Try again¡±


    This time, I put a bit more force and punched. Again, it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Keep going¡±


    The third time, I pulled my hand back, took a deep breath, and punched it with full force. This time it


    moved, barely.


    ¡°Empty your mind and focus just on the punching bag, nothing else. And hold your arms tight. Your


    throw should have as much strength as the punch itself.¡±


    I nodded and did as instructed. A loud smack resounded through the gym.


    ¡°Could be better,¡± He murmured, and I grew irritated.


    For the next few minutes, he kept asking me to try different things, and kept pointing out one w after


    another, saying how I needed to bnce well, aim harder, kick faster, etc.


    I was getting annoyed by now and I was also sweating.


    Not that he cared.


    I wiped the sweat off my forehead as he asked me to do sets of squats, stretching, some more


    awkward bending, followed by some kicks and punches.


    He barely gave me a break to breathe or rx. My hands and feet were burning and my body felt as if


    it was on fire.


    Elijah had been too sweet, too patient, but this man just thought I was a machine.


    My gaze flicked to the watch, and I saw that it was almost two hours since I had stepped into the gym.


    ¡°Can we stop for today?¡± asked. My question had barely gotten out of my mouth when I saw him turn


    around, holding something.


    ¡°Now let me give you some brief ofbat¡±


    I stared at the mat and then at him. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    D


    I was not sure if he was pretending to not hear me or pretending to not care, but my breath caught


    again when he came too close to me and murmured, ¡°You werete today. So you have to put in an


    extra hour for wasting my time waiting for you, right?¡±


    He had been waiting for me?


    My body gave a pleasant shudder upon hearing that.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Zenovia


    Cahan was standing close to me, too close. His breath tickled my ear when he whispered that.


    His strong scent filled my nostrils, and it made me feel giddy. His cologne was just as mouthwatering as


    him.


    I tried not to show how much him being close affected me, and I gulped before I found my voice.


    ¡°Alright¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I felt proud of the way my voice did not tremble as he slowly stepped


    away.


    ¡°You do have strength. We have to work on your stamina. And the fact that you worked out for almost 2


    hours without grumbling tells me that your first shifting, though iplete, helped.¡±


    Helped? How?


    I looked up at him in confusion. Those golden eyes looked pools of honey as they caught the sunlight


    peeking in through the window slits.


    My question must have been obvious in the way I stared at him, because he answered,


    ¡°No ordinary human should be able to withstand such strenuous workout on their first day, not without a


    wolf, if only barely¡±


    He offered, but that confused me even more.


    ¡°You think humans are too weak and fragile?¡± I muttered, but he was not offended by the remark.


    ¡°By no means, I said humans are weak. I just meant it would take a lot of time and effort to build


    stamina and endurance. That is why young girls and boys have to start training early. So that they have


    a good physical body that would be able to withstand


    Pase Pressure of shifting when their


    wolf first shows up. Even then, a dr


    Wait.


    few


    Out.¡±


    Did that mean he had only been pushing me to test my limits? To help me be strong sooner?


    If that was the case, he had a very crude way of achieving that. Not to


    mention I had not forgotten how he said he did not want any weaklings in the pack.


    ¡°What do I have to do?¡±


    I asked, and he shrugged. ¡°Just attack me.¡±


    At that I stared at him, open mouthed. ¡°I am sorry?¡±


    I uttered automatically, but he shrugged, ¡°I know you are but do as I say¡±


    I mentally rolled my eyes at that, but let out a huff. ¡°Or should I say, try to attack me.¡±


    He corrected his words to add the word ¡®try¡¯ and I did not miss that.


    Preparing myself for the challenge, I pulled my ponytail up in a tight bun and held my hands in front of


    me.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked, and I nodded and threw a fist.


    Cahan simply pivoted to the left, and my fist hit the empty air. ¡°Again¡±


    He ordered, and I threw the other hand at him, but even this time he ducked effortlessly.


    ¡°Again¡±


    I pulled my hand back and aimed a punch at his abdomen instead of face this time. I could not touch


    him yet again.


    For the next twenty minutes or so, I kept kicking and punching, swirling and jumping all in an effort to


    land a hit on him.


    It should have been easy given his huge size, but he was as sneaky as a cat. His reflexes were too


    smooth for me.


    I was panting and sweating, the t-shirt sticking to my body as I tried and tried, but could not hit him.


    After I could not move anymore, I stopped while pushing the hair that had escaped the bun away from


    my face.


    And in front of me was the Lycan King smirking at me, apparently highly pleased with himself.


    ¡°This is no way to train,¡± I grumbled, and he reached for a bottle to slowly take a sip.


    He put his lips to the bottle and took two small sips before holding it in front of me.


    ¡°You have burned more calories than you would ever by just hopping like a kangaroo and having my


    gamma keep a watch on you.¡±


    I curled my hands into fists. ¡°Look, you said you would train me and you can see I am trying. But its not


    fair. You are stronger than me. I bet you would be panting if it was a one vs two battle. There is no need


    to be so snobbish all the time.¡±


    The smirk on his face widened, and I realized I had just given him more reason to amuse himself.


    Maybe he liked ying cat and mouse with me. ¡°You think so?¡± He asked, and I snapped,


    ¡°Yes. Get Elijah and Matt to train with you. Maybe let them tackle you in a spar. Then let me see if you


    can handle two at a time.¡±


    Cahan snorted as if I had said the stupidest thing ever. ¡°Of course, they will never try to push you


    down and go easy on you because you are their King¡±


    The snort disappeared, and I saw that my words wiped off the smile from his face.


    Good. I thought.


    That smirk was making me imagine scandalous thoughts of him pinning me down on the floor and-


    ¡°Focus on your training,¡± He said bluntly, and I reached for the bottle while trying to hide my


    annoyance. Before my fingers could curl around the bottle, he pulled his hand up, making my eyes go


    wide.


    was not done yet. I¡¯jumped


    around him as he kept


    ¡°Not again¡± I made an impatient noise, but he up on my feet and sprang up, throwing my hands


    pushing the bottle away from my reach.


    By now the slow smile had turned into a grin as I jumped and sprang all around him like a little rabbit,


    but the wolf still held the carrot away from my reach.


    I had to try another means and trick him a little. Thus, I kept bouncing on my heels and showed as if I


    was still trying to reach for the bottle, but quickly went behind him and raised my hands up.


    He was taken aback when I tried to sneakily grab the bottle from him. But that was barely for a second


    because the next second his hand went around my waist, grabbed me and plucked me off the floor.


    While I was jumping around, my tee rode up a little, so when Cahan picked me up, his fingers


    brushed my bare skin.


    I had beenpletely focused on the bottle so the unexpected touch startled me, making me gasp in


    surprise.


    Hearing me gasp, he looked up at me, and my eyes locked with his. For a second, he just stood there,


    holding me up in his arms while staring me in the eye.


    His hair had curled on the sides and I had the mad urge to smoothen those and rustle his hair. His


    head was at my eye-level and those luscious locks were urging me to roam my fingers over them.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, and I blinked furiously, trying to ignore the way his fingers were still on


    my waist.


    ¡°N-nothing,¡± I answered while trying to look away.


    That casual smirk returned a secondter, and he asked, ¡°So, you give up?¡±


    I nodded, and he gently put me down on the floor again.


    And when his hand pulled away, I was more sad than relieved at the loss of touch. It had been a while


    since those hands had touched me.


    All this while, he had been guiding me, but somehow never touched me. And the little brush had ignited


    a spark inside of me again.


    I turned around to calm my raging heart. The idental brush of his hand and the precious few


    seconds in which he had held me¡­. I had felt something stir inside of me.


    Though I could not quite understand what it was. I just felt a torrent of emotions rage at once before


    dying down.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± His voice reached me when I stood like a statue with my back facing him.


    ¡°Y-yes, I can¡¯t workout anymore. I am done,¡± I answered after taking a few deep breaths and turning


    around to face him.


    He looked at me from head to toe and shrugged, ¡°Alright¡±


    I did not wait for him to say anything else and just ran outside the gym. I found myself sprinting up the


    room despite the ache in my legs and only took a breath of relief when I closed the doors and was


    away from him.


    Just what had I felt when he touched me? And why?


    It was not the first time that he had touched me, and it was definitely much more than my stupidly


    growing crush on him.


    For the remainder of the day, I kept reying the scene in my head and did not step out of my room.


    I just decided to take a bath and rx while also trying to focus on the


    tasks in front of me. The full moon was inching closer, and I hoped I would awaken my wolf this time.


    There was a knock on the door, and I almost gave a startled cry when Maria stepped in.


    ¡°Are you alright? You did note to lunch or dinner either? Aren¡¯t you hungry after all the workout?¡±


    She asked, but somehow my stomach did not want to eat. I was used to staying hungry for hours back


    at home, so it was nothing new.


    ¡°Not really¡± I shrugged as she gave me a stern look and brought in a tray full of food.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get scolded for your mistake of not eating. So you better all of this before you go to


    sleep.¡±


    The tray was filled with healthy food; soup, veggies, boiled meat, and some scrambled eggs.


    I made a face at that tray, but she added, ¡°You better finish this. Now I have to go and do the dishes.¡±


    She left, and I sat staring at the unappetizing looking food. I looked down from the windows and a


    thought urred to me.


    ¡®What if I throw it down the window or maybe dump all of it in the bin?¡¯


    I chuckled at that thought and shook my head, but then a small beep sound brought me out of my


    reverie.


    There was a text message from Cahan.


    -If you put the food anywhere except your stomach, I will know. Don¡¯t bete tomorrow.-

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    For the next three weeks, all I did was train, force food down my throat and sleep. Cahan was a strict


    teacher and, though I knew it would be impossible for me to gain superhuman strength in such a short


    time, he did not cut me any ck.


    Every morning I woke up at 5 am, ran to his gym where he kept pushing me until I could not move


    anymore and then made me exercise some more.


    He was a maniac, but I was beginning to see the results. Cahan would always be waiting for me in


    the gym, wearing his shorts and a vest or loose t-shirt and we both fell into a routine of exercising.


    At first, I hated him because he pushed me a lot, but when I began to see the changes in my body, I felt


    it was worth the effort.


    The full moon was inching closer. All my bets were on bing strong enough to awaken my wolf.


    I was not sure if it would happen, but I had to try. And Cahan was always strictly professional when it


    came to my gym regime.


    One such afternoon when I was lying on the gym floor, panting and sweating after having worked out


    for hours. He was not in the gym and I waited and waited for him to show up, but he was probably tired


    and just taking an extended nap.


    I swear I never saw him mutter that he wished to sleep or just rest. He would either go to his meetings,


    poke his face in the


    files or train.


    That man worked like the world would end if he stopped, so it was natural that at some point he would


    feel a burnout.


    And as much as I grumbled while training with him, his absence hurt me more than I wished to admit.


    I had gotten used to our lessons together and would always look forward to seeing him. Somehow,


    seeing his face the first thing in the morning, even if he put me through hellish training, made my heart


    flutter.


    My gaze flicked to the clock on the wall as I saw the time. It was almost time for lunch, and there was


    no sign of Cahan.


    My gaze drifted to my phone, that was lying on the side. I never quite worked up the courage to start


    chatting with him.


    I would always wonder what to text him and how to take the conversation ahead. Hence, I would only


    send him a one word reply whenever he texted me.


    Which he hadn¡¯t this time.


    Wiping the sweat off my brow, I stepped out of the gym. And the smell of something sweet and sugary


    hit


    My stomach rumbled at that.


    my


    nostrils.


    I hastily went to the kitchen and saw that the kitchen was in full swing. There were a lot of preparations


    going on. Maria was shouting orders at everyone who was busy doing something or the other.


    I stayed by the door, looking at all of it with an amused smile. Maria turned around while giving some


    more orders and her gaze fell on me.


    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry. Today is a busy day. I will get you your lunch soon.¡± She offered.


    But my gaze was only on the tray in her hand.


    Soft and creamy chocte muffins that she had freshly taken out of the oven.


    My stomach rumbled again at that sight, and my mouth watered.


    ¡°Can I have one?¡± I asked her, but she shook her head.


    ¡°Not if I want to stay alive. We have been ordered to give you a strict diet and I am sticking to that¡±


    My face fell/It wouldn¡¯t harm if I ate just one muffin, right?


    But Maria was too busy to argue with me.


    ¡°Just what is the fuss about? Why is the kitchen so busy?¡±


    Maria ced the tray of muffins on the side table to cool down and began pouring the batter in the


    moulds.


    ¡°Nothing unusual. King Cahan does not like that the rest of the pack stays in the pack house and he


    lives in this mansion. So asionally he asks everybody toe over here for lunch or dinner.¡±


    ¡°I see¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Yeah, I believe he has been asking Elder Lina toe over since a long time but she loves the open


    forest more than the mansion. Calls it a golden prison.¡±


    Maria chuckled, and I could not find fault with that.


    His mansion was opulent and filled with tasteful furniture, but there was a certain charm to being


    surrounded by nature and


    trees.


    ¡°So they areing to lunch today?¡±


    ¡°I believe so. He went there to personally escort Elder Lina.¡±


    That woman had been quite stern to me and did not look at me as if I was worthy of being a pack


    member.


    Maybe that was why Cahan had never introduced me to the rest of the pack, because he knew they


    would not ept me easily.


    ¡°Great then. I will simply stay in my room and pretend not to exist. You can skip sending the boiled stuff


    to my room. I am not that hungry either way¡±


    I added, earning a re from Maria.


    ¡°No, you are eating the stipted diet. King Cahan and gamma Elijah both have given me ample


    lectures of why it is important for you.¡±


    I bit my lip nervously, and her gaze softened. She walked over to me and I saw the flour stuck to her


    dress and hair.


    Dusting it off with my hands, I helped her get rid of it as she took my hand in hers.


    ¡°I understand how you are feeling. But I am sure you will awaken your wolf thising full moon. You


    are working very hard for it¡±


    So she knew it. Maybe that is why she was so adamant about not letting me get a cheat day.


    I smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand, ¡°alright. I will head to shower. I don¡¯t want to cross paths


    with Elder Lina¡±


    I admitted, and she chuckled, ¡°She is like a stern grandma, but she is a softie once you win her over.


    Don¡¯t hide from her. She won¡¯t eat you.¡±


    I let Maria walk back into the kitchen and took a sip of water from my bottle while turning around.


    And from the main door, I saw Cahan walk in. i immediately hid behind a pir afraid that Elder Lina


    was with him.


    I did not want to meet her. I would run back up the stairs when she had left the hall. However, Cahan


    just walked in alone. There was no sign of Elder Lina or the other members of the pack.


    ¡°Hey King,¡± I heard a familiar voice call out to him.


    Elijah walked in from behind the door, carrying a file in his hand.


    ¡°Hey El, what¡¯s up?¡± Cahan greeted him, and Elijah closed the file. ¡°I thought you went to pick Elder


    Lina and the others. Are they noting?¡±


    Cahan replied, ¡°They are. But you know how Elder Lina is. She wanted to sit in the open front yard


    as the walls of the huge mansion make her feel ustrophobic. I just came in to tell the servants to


    serve the lunch outside.¡±


    Elijah chuckled, ¡°She likes to make us run around¡±


    Cahan nodded. ¡°she does behave like a stern grandma.¡±


    Elijah was quick to reply, ¡°Which she is¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°But why are you still in your gym wear? Go get ready for lunch.¡±


    Cahan rolled his eyes. ¡°Now you are behaving just like her. Where is Matt?¡±


    3


    ¡°Here King¡± Matteo was climbing down the stairs.


    ¡°You asked me to check on the rogue situation. I have news and I was waiting for you in your office.¡±


    ¡°That can wait. You both have to do something for me.¡±


    Cahan said and then turned around to meet my gaze, as if he knew exactly where I had been hiding


    all this time.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Zenovia


    I gulped nervously.


    There was no point in hiding anymore, so I slowly stepped out of my hiding spot. Cahan¡¯s gaze was


    intense, and I saw the way he looked up at me from head to toe.


    Maybe he was checking if I had skipped a workout because he was not around. My clothes and the


    hair stered to my temples should be enough proof that I had diligently worked out even if he was not


    around.


    Elijah waved at me upon seeing me, while Matt only gave an acknowledging nod. Cahan¡¯s gamma


    and beta were the exact opposites.


    Matt just felt like a mini version of Cahan sometimes.


    Cahan looked at the two soldiers and said, ¡°People don¡¯t believe I y fair, and I can tackle the two


    of you simultaneously. So, go change, we are going to have a little spar.¡±


    My eyes went wide at those words. He had not taken my name, but I knew it was directed at me.


    ¡°Who is mad enough to say that?¡± Matt asked, but Cahan shrugged.


    ¡°People think it is easy to be a King and rule a kingdom. Sometimes you have to answer those


    doubts. Are you ready for a spar?¡±


    He asked them both.


    This was a silly act. If his pride was hurt by my words, he could have just snapped at me like he always


    did.


    Why did he have to put up a show? Especially with all the pack members around. Elder Lina would


    simply tear me apart if she learned I was the reason her lunch had been dyed.


    ¡°Uh, but we have the entire pack in the garden. They expect lunch to be served soon, King¡± Elijah tried


    to reason, but Cahan shook his head.


    ¡°The fight won¡¯tst long either way. Let¡¯s go outside¡±


    He said without looking at me and stepped out of the main door and climbed down the short flight of


    stairs.


    Elijah and Matt-only looked at each other but did not say anything. They just went upstairs to keep the


    file in the office, as it was something important.


    That left me staring at the broad back of Cahan. Seeing that there was nobody around, I went near


    him and murmured,


    ¡°Uh,


    you don¡¯t have to do this. I was just annoyed when I said that.¡±


    But Cahan only rolled up his sleeves.


    ¡°If I let even the weakest member of my pack question my strength and let it slide, it will make more


    people question my leadership. Not the first time that this is happening, either.¡±


    I felt a little hurt when he called me the weakest member of his pack, but it was not as if I could deny it.


    But what got me wondering were his next words of people questioning his leadership.


    I did not know the details, but the line was enough to tell me that he had slept over that fact and my


    remark had hit a nerve. Cahan was mysterious, and I knew nothing about his personal life or much


    about the pack members, either. And nobody told me much when I asked anyone either.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this,¡± I began, but in an instant he pulled me away from the entrance and I felt my


    back softly hit the outer


    wall.


    The trees were tall enough to hide us from the eyes of others who were at the far end of the front yard.


    Cahan¡¯s eyes bore into me, and the nearness of us made me suck in my breath. His eyes had a


    certain glow to it, a fire that seemed to rage inside those golden eyes that held me captive in their cage.


    ¡°If I win the spar, you would do something for me¡±


    My eyes kept staring at his perfect face, and my fingers ached to touch his hair.


    What did he want me to do? I was his pack member and subject, so he could order me to do whatever


    he wanted either way. ¡°W-what?¡± I asked nervously, stuttering like a little girl.


    His gaze dipped to my lips, and I felt I saw his eyes darken just a little. He licked his dry lips and the


    breeze flowing through the garden reached us, carrying his intoxicating scent to me.


    He was already too close to me. If I leaned forward just a little, our lips would brush. He seemed to


    have read my thought


    because I saw the desire flicker in his eyes.


    But before I could lean forward, he pulled himself away and muttered, ¡°I will tell you when it is time¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    I began, but he walked away without a backward nce. And I just stayed stered to the wall, panting


    due to the shock.


    His fingers had barely grazed my arms, but it had left me wanting more¡­.much more.


    While I was trying to calm down, a voice asked, ¡°What are you doing here sticking to the wall?¡±


    Elijah had returned but had not bothered changing into gym wear.


    ¡°N-nothing,¡± I said and pushed my hair behind my ear and tidied my shirt.


    ¡°Well then, let us go. It has been a while since we three had a friendly spar. It will be nice¡±


    I nodded meekly as I walked with Elijah and Matteo joined us soon.


    But it felt like a walk of shame to me as everybody was staring at us as if we were the culprits¡­or


    maybe Cahan had told them that it was me who had doubted his leadership.


    Cahan had his back turned to me, and his pack members were all seated around a huge table that


    the servants were still putting chairs around.


    They ced huge tables around a huge open space shaped like a circle, which would serve as the


    fighting ring.


    My eyes searched for Elder Lina, but she was busy talking to the others, so I quickly settled in one of


    the chairs her, trying to hide from her as much as possible.


    Cahan and the two other men stepped inside the circr arena, and everybody settled in the chairs.


    away from


    ¡°Its been long since I fought with my two warriors and I think I might have gone a little rusty. If they both


    manage to overwhelm me, I would dly ept any punishment offered to me.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    At thosest words, his eyes subtly flicked to me.


    He had spotted me in a crowd of thousands of people without any issues.


    ¡°Who would be the judge?¡± Elder Lina asked and added, ¡°You need a referee.¡±


    Cahan smiled. ¡°The entire pack will be the referee today.¡±


    Everybody cheered as the three stepped in. Cahan¡¯s eyes tore away from me and he turned to look


    at his beta and gamma, who were grinning.


    Somebody announced ¡®Begin¡¯ and his two warriors rushed forward at Cahan, who did not move until


    they were just a hair¡¯s breadth away from him.


    The two attempted to throw him off, but Cahan jumped up and did a roll midair, andnded back on


    the ground in a second.


    The crowd cheered while I stared transfixed at them. The spar was a sight to behold.


    The three did not intend to lethally harm each other, but they did not go easy on each other too.


    And I could not take my eyes off Cahan.


    He moved like a blur, his muscles rippling under the sun as he tackled not one but two opponents


    without breaking into a


    sweat.


    Though Cahan was a tad bit broader and taller, the two soldiers put together were no less deadly.


    Elijah would throw a punch at Cahan from the front while Matt would kick from behind, aiming at his


    knee, but every single time, Cahan was quick enough to dodge or parry both attacks.


    It was like watching a beautiful dance, a power disy as a series of kicks, punches and fists smacked


    into the three of them. ¡°This should be a paid event¡± One of the girls seated ahead of me giggled,


    staring wide-eyed at the


    ? ? ? ? ?? ?? ???


    spar.


    She poked her friend sitting beside her, who nodded, ¡°Yes, one where only I get to watch the Lycan


    King.¡±


    So he had admirers in his pack, too. That should not have surprised me.


    The earlier girl whispered, ¡°Even better if it is me who he is tackling like that. I don¡¯t mind getting tossed


    around by him.¡±


    The two giggled, and I tried to snuff out the little re of jealousy growing in me.


    I wondered how many girls dreamed about him kissing them, roaming his hands over them.


    The voice of Elder Lina shouting, ¡°Time over¡¯ brought me back to the present.


    The spar might havested only for half an hour, but the two warriors were panting and Matt particrly


    looked


    disgruntled.


    I could hear him grumble to Elijah, ¡°You were too slow with that punch¡±


    It made me chuckle as the crowd cheered and everybody pped at the end of the spar.


    Cahan¡¯s gaze found me again, and he only looked at me intently, his eyes trying to convey a


    thousand words before he tore his gaze from me.


    And just like that the smirk was back on his face again.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    Zenovia


    The next few days passed in a blur. I did not remember much of it except that I trained harder than


    ever. If Cahan was surprised by my hard work or tenacity, he did notment.


    I knew he would ask me to train harder and push myself, so I did exactly that. My entire body felt as if it


    was on fire, but I also felt restlessly alive.


    Soon, it was the day of full moon. I could not contain my excitement. The morning seemed to stretch


    forever and even the clock seemed to tick agonizingly slow.


    I could barely fall asleep and tossed and turned in the bed the whole night, waiting for the clock to hit


    the time I went down to the gym.


    And when it did, I sprang up, quickly changed into gym clothes and was sprinting down the stairs in no


    time.


    Today was an exciting day, and I wanted share my nervousness with Cahan. He had been training


    me almost the entire month and, though he was extremely strict, I began to feel positive on the inside


    and outside.


    Maybe it was the fact that I had partially awakened my wolf that allowed me to attain such results, or


    maybe it was because he was merciless to me.


    Either way, within a month, I saw a considerable transformation in myself. My body, that looked weak


    and fragile, now had a bit more muscle to it. My legs and arms looked well toned and my stomach was


    t, not sticking inside to the bones.


    Even my chest, that was too small, now had a definite growth. Overall I felt nice to see my reflection in


    the mirror, something I had not really cared about since I was always covered in dirt and soot back


    home.


    I smiled at myself in the mirror and looked around to see Cahan. He had told me to share if I ever felt


    too tired or strained.


    And today, of all days, was very important to me. I wanted to thank him for his grueling training.


    But he was not around. Confused, I walked through the huge space, hoping to find him in some corner,


    but he was nowhere to be found.


    I walked back to the gym entrance and tried to sense if I could hear his approaching footsteps, but


    there were none.


    I felt a little dejected to not have him in the morning around me as usual. It had be a part of my


    routine.


    Frowning, I turned away and went back to focus on my exercise for the day. He must have gotten some


    file to read or something, I told myself.


    Besides, I technically lived in his home, so I would see him in some time either way.


    Thus, I returned to the machines and began doing everything he had taught me to do. My eyes would


    asionally nce back to the watch and the door, but he never showed up.


    After working out so much that my body could not move anymore, I slumped on the floor and took a


    few ragged breaths to calm myself down.


    I spent a few minutes catching my breath and then recalled I had his number. I quickly reached for my


    phone and opened


    the


    messenger.


    I had never initiated a conversation, but it was not as if I could not do it.


    My fingers tapped his name, and I thought of typing a message, but then wrote a few words and


    deleted them.


    ¡®What should I message him?¡¯ I wondered.


    I could not ask him why he did not show up at the gym or where he was. I was his subject, not his


    girlfriend.


    Fumbling with the phone, I thought of something and finally typed.


    -Finished workout like usual just now-


    That seemed okay to me. I was informing him that I did not miss out on training even if he wasn¡¯t


    around.


    So I hit the send button and nervously waited for a while. Usually, he would send a reply in a few


    minutes, but today there


    was none.


    He must be busy. I tried to console myself and headed back to my room. I didn¡¯t even feel like eating


    but then recalled Maria might know something.


    So I turned around and went back to the kitchen to see her working as usual.


    ¡°Hey Maria, what¡¯s up?¡±


    She wayed her hand at me. ¡°Busy. There is going to be some meeting tonight with a few alphas of the


    most important packs.


    There might also be some more events. So preparing like usual¡±


    ¡°Oh I mumbled.


    So the entire day, he was going to be busy. I thought I would have him beside me when the full moon


    showed up¡­ for moral support.


    Guess not.


    I left Maria to her work and slowly walked back to my room. Even if he was not around, I would simply


    do it on my own. In fact, it was good that he would be busy. In the worst case that I did not awaken my


    wolf again, I would be embarrassed. It was better this way; I told myself and spent the rest of the day


    looking at a few videos on my phone that he had asked me to check while we did a workout.


    I looked at them absent mindedly and then thought of searching for his name on the inte to check if


    there was anything. But there was nothing.


    It was as if he did not even exist.


    I scratched my chin at that. There was not even a photo of him anywhere, nor a mention. He was a


    ghost.


    Why would he hide from everyone? I wondered, but then recalled even I was nowhere to be found on


    the inte.


    Maybe he did not like making everything public about him. I dismissed his thoughts and went back to


    seeing training and, workout videos.


    While watching them, my eyes began to shut down, and I fell asleep.


    A few hourster, there was a knock on the door, waking me up from my sleep.


    I turned on the side, pulling the pillows close to my ears, but the door flew open the next minute.


    ¡°Girl, get up and


    get


    dressed. You are required to be present at the meeting.¡±


    Maria¡¯s voice reached my ears, but I was too sleepy to care.


    ¡°Go away, Maria.¡±


    I could feel her ring at me with her hands on her hips. ¡°The Lycan King Cahan asked me to get


    you dressed and ready, -so-you-better get up or I will throw a bucket of cold water on you.¡±


    What?


    I sprang up at the mention of his name..


    My hair was flying in all directions, and I could only stare stupidly at her.


    Maria was quite satisfied with the threat.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes, you. There is no other Zenovia in the pack, is there?¡±


    I croaked while rubbing the sleep off my eyes, ¡°But why?¡±


    Instead of answering, she walked towards me and pulled me into a sitting position as she saw me


    slumping down again.


    ¡°You have stirred a lot of gossip amongst all the packs.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    She pulled me away from the bed and made me stand, as she feared I would go to bed again.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°I am not sure, but I believe everybody wants to know who is the girl that the Lycan King took in. You


    are a first¡±


    I grumbled, not liking the fact that they wanted to see me put on disy.


    ¡°They already saw me at the ball.¡±


    Maria shook her head and dragged me to the bathroom. ¡°Go wash your face first¡±


    She answered while I scrubbed my face clean and tried to get rid of the sleep.


    ¡°You were hiding in a corner for the entire night. You danced with the King, I heard, but most of the


    alphas and betas had left to find their mates by then amongst those avable. Barely a few were


    around the dance floor.¡±


    ¡°Why is that my fault?¡± I bickered, but she shook her head again.


    ¡°Ask the King when you see him. Nowe back here. I have work to do.¡±


    She said while handing me a towel and walking towards the wardrobe.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s been a while since I helped anybody get dressed. My specialities lie in the kitchen, not in


    dressing up and makeup.¡±


    I patted my face dry and muttered, ¡°It is okay. I will not be there for long either way. I can wear a simple


    gown and just dab some powder and I am good to go.¡±


    I offered, but Maria shook her head.


    ¡°You have no idea how important pack meetings are. Only the betas and gammas get to attend them


    along with the alphas. And everybody follows a dress code when attending such meetings. Do you


    want to embarrass the King in front of the others?¡±


    She asked, and I shook my head.


    I had already heard Cynthiament of how I was embarrassing the King by being a weakling.


    So I did not want to give anybody a reason to think of me as weak.


    ¡°Ok fine. But don¡¯t stress yourself so much. I will not walk into the meeting looking like a clown.¡±


    ¡°If only there was Drusi here. She is an expert in makeup and can make you look like a stunning


    diva.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°She has other things to do then helping me get ready. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    But then I heard a voice, ¡°Not really¡±


    I turned to look at Drusi standing near the door. She was wearing a formal dress, ck trousers, a


    cream colored crop top and big, round earrings.


    Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she looked stunning.


    ¡°Hey Drusi¡± I waved at her and she walked in with a smile.


    ¡°I was running towards Cal¡¯s office, but I heard my name, so I stopped.¡±


    Maria looked at Drusi with relief, ¡°Thank the Goddess you are here. I can¡¯t tell a stocking from a


    sock, so I will leave her in your able hands and return to my kitchen duties. See you¡±


    Drusi looked at me with a tinge of excitement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started then. The meeting should start in some time.¡±


    And then she leaned in and whispered, ¡°Plus, today is the full moon, so I hope after tonight things really


    change for you and Cahan.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Zenovia


    ¡°Change? In what way?¡±


    ¡°I would have told you, but Cahan is the King and he wants to do it when he feels the time is right. I


    only hope you awaken your wolf today, so I don¡¯t have to be so tight-lipped around you.¡±


    She said, and it somehow made me feel both anxious and a bit relieved.


    ¡°Are you going to sacrifice me in some ritual?¡± I asked and was rewarded with a chuckle.


    ¡°Cahan does not believe in rituals or sacrifices. Hell, he does not even believe in the Moon Goddess


    anymore. So you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± I blurted out.


    We all were creatures of the Moon Goddess. Selene had bestowed us with a power to shift into our


    wolves after we reached a certain age, granting us inhuman strength and power.


    We all worshipped her so it was odd to hear that the King, the person who ruled us all, did not believe


    in our deity.


    It was said that many years ago, Selene was born as an unwanted child to a Greater God, who ignored


    her for his other offsprings who were far more stronger and powerful. Selene used everything she could


    to please her father, but he would always turn a blind eye to her.


    One such day some lesser gods united against her to eradicate the weakling, so she fought with them


    and left the Kingdom to make one where no one could reach her, high in the sky.


    The moon became her throne and kingdom and the first being who she saw after iming her throne


    was an ordinary


    wolf.


    Legend says that she blessed the wolf with her strength and that was how our race was born.


    Of course, there were many such stories told to us when we were young, so I had heard some variation


    of the same story in every single one.


    But I had not heard of a single person not worshipping or believing in her, so it was quite strange.


    I waited for Drusi to answer me, but she pretended to not listen to me. She instead walked past me


    and stood in front of the open wardrobe looking at the clothes.


    ¡°Hmm, we have to find something that will show how strong you are¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really see the need to dress up¡± I made the same argument I had shared with Maria, but


    Drusi shook her head.


    ¡°Sorry. King¡¯s orders¡±


    I made a face, but Drusi stuck her tongue out and began pulling out a few dresses for me to wear.


    ¡°Hmm, this looks too formal,¡± she said while picking up a business suit.


    ¡°Nah, this one¡¯s too chic¡± she said, dismissing another, and I kept waiting for her to arrive at a


    conclusion.


    When she had thrown almost a dozen of dresses on the bed with a frown, I raised a hand.


    ¡°Can I suggest something?¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± she said while still shuffling through the wardrobe.


    ¡°Can I wear something that looks like the night sky?¡±


    Drusi stopped shuffling and looked at me with an amused smile. ¡°As in?¡±


    ¡°As in¡­today is the full moon and I hope just likest time, my wolf shows up and this time I manage to


    completely shift. So, it would be nice to wear something that makes me look like I have draped the


    night sky. Something with a light dusting


    of stars¡­.¡±


    Her smile seemed to widen as I vividly imagined the dress, and I stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Did I bber a lot?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡±


    She began looking through the blue dresses hanging down in the wardrobe. To be honest, I did not


    even know there were so many dresses inside the wardrobe.


    I would only grab the gym wear and pajamas 90% of the time, so I did not even bother checking


    through the rest of the


    stuff.


    Finally, Drusi seemed satisfied with one of the dresses and replied, ¡°Now, you have to close your


    eyes. I will let you know when to open.¡±


    ¡°But¡­what if I don¡¯t look good in it?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Trust me, you will¡±


    Saying so, she made me put on a sleeping mask to ensure I would not cheat. For the next hour or so,


    she kept putting on something or the other on my face.


    I felt the make up brushes touch my skin and the creams and gels with which she styled my hair,


    dabbed my wrists with some perfume and even painted my nails.


    I had never been someone who knew the basics of make-up or dressing elegantly, so I was curious to


    see what she was doing, but Drusi didn¡¯t want me to look until she had the final lookplete¡­


    whatever that meant.


    I felt nervousness and anxiety bubbling in me as the day ended and the sun dipped below the horizon.


    The time when one awakened a wolf was never specific. Some found their wolf when the first rays of


    the moonlight fell on them, while others took a bit of time, extending from minutes to hours on their


    eighteenth birthday.


    I was an anomaly, so I was not sure what to expect. I sent a silent prayer to the moon goddess to help


    me find my wolf. Mentally, I also prepared myself for the worst case scenario of not awakening my


    inner wolf this full moon.


    ¡°Stop fidgeting¡± Drusi gently pped my hands when my fingers began to tie a knot with the silky


    threads of the fabric.


    Honestly, I had never stripped in front of anybody before excluding my mother, so it felt a little off. But


    the dress she had chosen for me needed me to strip down bare so that the dress would fit perfectly.


    I stood like a mannequin as she pushed me through the dress, my hair going askew as she buttoned


    the seams and pulled up the zips on the inside that held the dress together.


    My fingers brushed against the fabric, and I felt it to be satiny soft. It did feel snug and not as if my


    insides were being choked.


    ¡°How long?¡± I asked impatiently and Drusi said in a garbled voice, ¡°Soon.¡±


    She was probably holding ab and a hair curler in her hands, for I felt the soft whirring of a


    machine.


    After what felt like an eternity, she let out a huffed breath and I felt her sag into the bed, plopping


    herself on the soft


    mattress.


    ¡°Damn, I need to ensure Cal pays me for this service¡±


    She had taken the mask off my eyes at some point, but had turned me away from the mirror so I


    wouldn¡¯t take a sneaky nce.


    ¡°Ok, are we done? Can I open my eyes?¡±


    There was no answer for a while and I wondered what was going on.


    ¡°Drusi?¡± I asked aloud but still she didn¡¯t answer me. Biting my lower lip, I opened my eyes to see her


    sitting on the bed.


    She was right there in front of me, yet not.


    Her eyes were staring up at the ceiling, and she seemed to be having a fit.


    ¡°Dru!! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    gown,


    I said and hastily got up from the small chair she had made me sit in. I almost tripped over the folds of


    the but somehow managed to reach her.


    Drusi was sitting cross-legged on the bed, and her head was thrown back.


    ¡°Dru! Dru!!¡± I tried shaking her, but she was still staring at the ceiling as if something had suddenly


    possessed her.


    I was about to call for help when she got out of her trance like state and looked at me.


    ¡°God, you scared me. Are you okay?¡± I asked, and Drusi gulped nervously.


    ¡°Water..¡± she said meekly, and I grabbed a ss of water from the adjacent table.


    ¡°Should I ask for the pack doctor to check on you? You are sweating¡­¡± I said and dabbed her forehead


    with a kerchief slowly.


    She drank the water, and her breathing got even after a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡­you know what I am, right?¡±


    She asked, and I looked at her curiously. ¡°You are¡­.a girl¡­just like me?¡±


    I offered, and she shook her head. ¡°I am also a seer. My powers are not really great, but sometimes I


    get to see glimpses of people in my head.¡±


    ¡°Ummm..does that hurt you?¡± I asked stupidly.


    I should have had a better response, but curiosity got the better of me.


    ¡°Sometimes. I see visions of people, sometimes strangers, but I have learned that these are somehow


    tied to the people that matter to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t understand.¡±


    She made me sit in front of her and began.


    ¡°So¡­ your stepbrother Sid and the entire thing where you got kidnapped? I saw it¡­ in bits and pieces.


    Most of it was blurred and I would have warned you, but I also saw Cahan around you¡­he was


    hitting someone¡­.I figured out the rest.¡±


    Drusi said, her fingers fidgeting with the ss.


    ¡°Oh¡± I managed to say.


    ¡°Yeah, so what you saw right now¡­.it was me seeing another vision. The ones I see are mostly things


    that could happen in the future. So unless and until I feel an imminent threat to those I saw in the


    vision, I don¡¯t share it with them. I don¡¯t want to needlessly worry anyone.¡±


    Drusi¡¯s face fell, but I smiled at her and reached for her hand to squeeze it.


    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°You just now said that you see visions of people that matter to you. And you saw me. So, thank you.¡±


    I said, and she ced her other hand on mine and smiled back.


    ¡°I said that?¡±


    ¡°No going back on it now,¡± I teased, and sheughed.


    ¡°So I believe you are not too worried about whatever you saw right now. Did it somehow involve me


    again?¡±


    I blurted out when I felt that she was rtively calm.


    ¡°Eh..¡± She thought about it for a while, so I knew she had definitely seen something rted to me.


    ¡°Please tell me,¡± I urged her, grabbing both her hands in mine.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Zenovia


    The thought of finding my wolf was already making me nervous so if she saw me struggle with shifting


    or saw that I did not even awaken my wolf, then I would not even bother going to the meeting.


    I would simply hide in my room. If Cahan got angry or wanted to punish me for defying his orders, I


    was okay with that instead of parading myself in front of all the alphas and never awakening my wolf.


    I would have no face to show. It would be humiliating.


    Multiple such thoughts churned through my head and I waited anxiously for Drusi to speak.


    ¡°I would only hope that you awaken your wolf soon.¡±


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    I wanted that too but she was clearly not telling me everything.


    ¡°Drusi, please,¡± I begged and she let out a sigh.


    ¡°The Lycan King¡­ what do you think of him?¡± She asked me and I was surprised by the sudden


    change of topic.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking that?¡±


    ¡°Answer me please¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I find him to be obnoxious and a little rude but he helped me train so I will not dere him


    as the worst person ever.¡±


    She chuckled at that. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± she asked and I tried to hide the way my heart raced as if she knew exactly what I was


    thinking.


    ¡°And nothing else¡± I answered.


    She kept looking at me intently for a while and narrowed her eyes but I did not break eye contact.


    After a while, she replied, ¡°Well, just know that you were brought here for a special purpose. You do


    know of the curse on the Lycan King, right?¡±


    I nodded. Everybody did.


    ¡°Well, let us just say that my visions tell me you could free him of his curse.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I gave her a shocked look.


    ¡°Yes, you. And I know we have not told you everything but Cahan is of the opinion that you should


    awaken your wolf first and grow strong before you are given additional responsibility.¡±


    ¡°What responsibility?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. It is not my secret to share. But Cahan will tell you when he deems it fit. IF you


    don¡¯t run away again. that is¡±


    She added in a teasing tone but her words made me think about everything that had urred so far.


    The way others would stare at me when I was not looking, whisper something secretively but when I


    showed up, they would suddenly go quiet.


    ¡°You are definitely sure I am not being used as a sacrificialmb, right?¡±


    I asked, hoping that they were not using me in some ghastly way to please some unknown deity who


    sought blood sacrifice.


    That could be a reason why they fed me and kept me well¡­as if I was a pig raised for ughter.


    But Drusi shook her head, ¡°I may hide things from you but I don¡¯t lie. I told you Cahan does not


    believe in Gods or Goddesses. He would only need your help in breaking the curse. You are NOT


    going to be sacrificed in any way.¡±


    She said giving me a reassuring look. ¡°I mean if he has to¡­ why not sacrifice the rogues? Hit two birds


    with a single stone, you know.¡±


    Her dark joke did not make me feel any morefortable.


    She saw the hesitation on my face and muttered, ¡°Ok, just know this- your and Cahan¡¯s fates are


    intertwined. You are going to need each other.¡±


    ¡°Thats¡­ reassuring¡± I said but then she held my hand, making me look up at her curiously.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t fall for him.¡± she abruptly added and I could only blurt out, ¡°Why?¡±


    Stupid of me.


    I should have blurted out ¡°What?¡± not ¡°Why?¡±


    My question indicated that I did want to fall for him. Drusi made a grim face, all the smile wiped away


    from her face.


    ¡°Because it won¡¯t be good for either of you. Trust me on that.¡±


    I tried to shrug it off. ¡°If looks alone made me fall for someone, I would be worried. d that is not the


    case.¡±


    ¡°The curse. Think about it, Zenovia. If we don¡¯t manage to break the curse, he will forever stay trapped


    in his lycan form. Would you want someone like that to be your forever after?¡±


    When I didn¡¯t reply, she added,


    ¡°I mean you would want a mate. A loving caring one. And you yourself said Cal is a snob¡±


    But I could not understand why she was saying all this.


    Drusi did not ignore my words like before but this was the first time she said something bad about


    Cahan. Well, it was not necessarily bad but she always painted him a good light.


    Though what she said was a bitter fact. There was no known solution to the curse and whatever they


    nned to do would just be trial and error.


    However, the way her face fell made me want to ask something.


    ¡°Did you ever¡­ I mean you and Cahan¡­¡± I trailed off but she seemed offended.


    ¡°What? Good God, no. I love him like a brother. So I am not some jealous friend who wants you out of


    the way. I just¡­well¡­just go and get your wolf¡­then we can talk.¡±


    Surely, she saw the way Cahan treated me in front of everyone. He did not treat me like I was the


    center of his world to make me fall for him.


    My feelings for him were only because of a stupid crush. It was something that would fade away over


    time if he continued to be the same cold and aloof person.


    I told that to myself repeatedly.


    And despite all the confusion she created in my head, at least, she was the first one to give me some


    answer instead of bluntly ignoring my questions.


    Maybe, her vision told her that I got killed by Cahan when he lost control of his lycan so she was


    trying to warn me.


    But then did she not believe in whatever solution she came up with? That somehow I was going to


    prevent exactly that?


    Just a few minutes ago, I had been excited to dress up, and look like a princess for once, meet my


    wolf, and finally not bebelled with a wolfless tag. But now all of that earlier excitement had vanished


    as my head was churning with various thoughts.


    At least, she and I agreed on one thing-falling for Cahan was a bad idea.


    And I owed him for taking me in when my own family abandoned me and threw me to the streets.


    Without him, I wouldn¡¯t be alive.


    If I could awaken my wolf and help him get rid of the curse, I surely would. I could at least try when he


    helped me so much. I was not an ungrateful bastard as Luna Celeste would often call me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My focus is only on awakening my wolf and then taking revenge on those who wronged


    me.¡±


    I said, my fists clenching at the thought of home and before she could answer the doors were thrown


    open. ¡°Goodness girls, what is taking you so long?¡±


    Maria opened the door, her hands on her hips as she was ring at me. But the re soon turned into


    a look of pure shock.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    She said with a raised eyebrow and it took me a moment to realise she wasplimenting my


    makeover. Drusi patted herself on the shoulder.


    ¡°Told you, I am the best¡±


    I smiled at Drusi and reaffirmed, ¡°You are the best¡±


    Maria blinked her eyes as I gathered the folds of the gown so as to not step identally on it. And the


    dress looked surreal.


    It really felt like the night sky was painted across the fabric, shades of light blue to dark with a dusting


    of white that resembled the stars.


    It caught light when I moved and I could not wait to see my reflection. However, Maria simply dragged


    me away from the mirror and muttered,


    ¡°You are alreadyte. The King has asked me to get you in the meeting hall right away.¡±


    ¡°But, let me at least-¡±


    I needed to distract myself with something to calm my nerves, breathe in for a second and then be


    thrown at the wolves.


    Maria shook her head, ¡°No can do. I don¡¯t want to get scolded.¡±


    Saying so, she went behind me and began pushing me out of the door, ¡°Come on, move girl¡±


    ¡°Hey, you are creasing the dress.¡±


    Drusi shouted as she got up from the bed with a frown.


    Hearing the two I simply let out a sigh, ¡°Okay fine. I aming¡±


    I gave up arguing since I did not want to step on the folds of the dress and tumble down the stairs.


    My heart racing, I slowly made way towards the meeting hall and reached the door.


    ¡°Good luck¡± Maria whispered and left me all alone by the door.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    I was sitting in my chair, staring absent-mindedly at the ss of water in front of me. We had been


    going in circles for hours and were yet to arrive at a conclusion.


    The meeting hall was huge and I chose to not hold the meeting in my office as we needed to


    amodate all the alphas along with some of the betas or gammas who came in as additional


    representatives from their packs.


    The situation had definitely worsened over thest few weeks. The rogues had begun attacking


    innocent kids, targeting those who were yet to shift or had recently shifted.


    This was a surprise move as mostly they went after the strongest members of the pack and tried to lure


    them toe over, members that felt they deserved the beta and alpha titles but were denied the


    position so a few of them had left their packs.


    All around I could hear people bickering with each other, trying to prove their point. And the more I


    heard them, the more I felt my head hurt.


    I flicked my gaze to the window, staring outside at the lush


    greenery.


    ¡°King, what do you suggest?¡± Matteo tried to nudge me.


    The crowd waited for me to answer but I did not speak for a while.


    Seeing that, Matteo got up from his chair and came to whisper in my ear.


    ¡°King, they are all waiting for your response¡±


    I blinked and turned my attention to the people seated around therge table that almost spanned


    through half the meeting hall.


    ¡°Teenagers are rebellious. I was too, at one point. It is easy to lure them into a trap rather than grown


    up men.¡±


    Hearing my response, one of the alpha leaned forward, a look of concern on his face.


    ¡°But King, what are we supposed to do now? If they keep brainwashing our young blood like this, we


    will lose our future heirs and warriors.¡±


    ¡°What age group is being targeted by the rogues?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mostly 18 or around that. Those who are about to shift or have recently shifted.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I tapped on my knuckles as a thought crossed my mind.


    Zenovia was a recent shifter too. And the rogue King himself had tried toe for her.


    ¡°How many recent shifters have left from each of your packs? And were they taken in forcefully or did


    they leave on their


    own?¡±


    I asked and everybody began to answer at once.


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    ¡°King, around ten of my recent shifters left together at once, iming that they were not respected well


    in the pack¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, five of mine were tempted to leave but stayed back after hearing about how the rogues


    make everybody suffer and we had to sit with them for hours to make them understand the dangers of


    going after something so stupid¡±


    ¡°King, I do not have kids of age right now so my pack is safe but they have been hearing things. I


    overheard some kids. gossip amongst each other about how they would also want to explore the new


    world after they came of age.¡±


    One by one I let them empty out their worries and frustration while wondering how to tackle this


    delicate issue without bloodshed.


    Youngsters were often misguided and brainwashed easily if they felt their own home and pack did not


    give them enough care and attention.


    And the life of a werewolf was hard. You had to train religiously, follow a strict protocol, and be always


    ready to die for your pack.


    The rogue King was being very clever and tactical in his approach. He was weakening the pack by


    going after the kids of those who ruled the pack.


    Werewolves were a close-knitmunity and cubs were our lifeline. His approach was meticulous and


    it was interesting to havee across a rival who relied on brain instead of muscle.


    I was getting increasingly curious about this rouge King.


    ¡°Where are the kids even meeting these rogues? And where are they going? Will it not be easy to


    simply send someone after them and find out the rogues¡¯ stronghold?¡±


    I asked.


    A beta of some pack immediately answered, ¡°We did that King. I sent some of my warriors who tailed


    the kids who opted to leave the pack. Technically, as they left the pack, we did not have anyw to


    govern them. So even if they did, they all pledged that they were leaving of their own free will.¡±


    ¡°So the kids definitely led you to the rogue King¡¯s stronghold? Does he have a packhouse? We can


    attack it and just kill him for once and all¡± I replied, twirling the paperweight lying on the table in front of


    me with one hand.


    But the beta shook his head, ¡°That is the issue, King. He simply offered the kids a better chance at life


    and more perks. Those who were willing to join his pack had to prove that they hadpletely cut


    contact with us for a month or so. Only after he was convinced, he would take them in.¡±


    That was a relief. At least, the teenagers were not in imminent danger. Not yet, at least.


    ¡°I have a feeling he does not even want them in his pack. He is just trying to break all of you. These are


    mind games that he is ying.¡±


    Everybody looked at each other worriedly, wondering what to do next.


    I suggested, ¡°Does every pack have kids that stayed back?¡±


    There was a silent murmur of approval.


    ¡°Good. Tell these kids to be in touch with those who have gone away. Even offer them money, food,


    whatever is needed through the kids. Just don¡¯t let any adult go near them for the time being.¡±


    ¡°But King, he would keep brainwashing our kids if we don¡¯t even meet them. And what about the Elders


    and the kids¡¯ mothers? They can¡¯t live in this constant worry for a month or two.¡±


    I leaned forward, ¡°The moment he sees you near them, he would not want to keep in touch with the


    kids. This seems like an borate n. The kids you send will have to pretend that they want toe


    over but the pack members are not allowing them. When they believe your spies, only then would we


    know the true intent of this rogue King.¡±


    ¡°But King-¡± another alpha began but I raised a hand.


    ¡°Yes I know we want to kill the rogues and their King but we have innocent kids involved in this. We


    have to approach the situation delicately. I do not want any innocent kid to get hurt.¡±


    I took a pause and added, ¡°Perhaps, some of you need to get better at parenting as well. Just because


    you found your mate, please don¡¯t start a family if you cannot look at your kids. Treat them with


    respect, try to talk to them, and understand their point of view. Not everything should be solved with


    punishment and violence.¡±


    My words made most of the alphas look down, their heads hanging in shame. The pressure they put on


    their kids to be the next alpha or beta was too much. I could see how the rogue King took advantage of


    this factor and was exploiting the opportunity, weakening the minds of the pack.


    ¡°Pick two of you. I want daily reports and updates on the progress of the situation. Meanwhile, also


    send out additional spies to keep an eye on the kids as well as any suspicious activity. If anybody gets


    any lead of the rogue King, youe directly to me. Is that clear?¡±


    I said in a tone of finality.


    ¡°Yes King¡±


    This meeting had been going on and on for eternity and at some point somebody had mentioned


    Zenovia.


    She was the only member I had taken in my pack so it was natural that they wanted to know about her.


    Those alphas and members of the pack who had their mates had note to the ball so somehow the


    request to meet her had been put forward before I could evenment on it.


    Not that it was a bad thing. I had kept her hidden for long and after the recent kidnapping of her through


    her stepbrother, I thought the more people knew who she was and how she looked, the less were the


    chances of her getting abducted.


    That was the only reason I had agreed to let them meet her.


    ¡®Where is she?¡¯ I could not help but wonder. Half of my attention had been on the door and I often


    found myself ncing at them, waiting for her to walk in through the door.


    And then as if she had heard my thoughts, I heard a soft knock on the door. My lycan, Beast, growled


    in my head at the thought of seeing her.


    We had not seen her since morning and it was making me restless. I thought I could stay away from


    her so I decided to focus on work.


    But then I said ¡°Come in¡± and the door slowly opened.


    And I sucked in my breath when my eyes fell on her.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    I could only stare at Zenovia as she slowly opened the doors and took slow, deliberate steps inside


    I had momentarily lost the ability to speak as I let my eyes roam over her. Words were not enough to


    describe how stunning and breathtaking she was looking


    My gaze slowly traveled up the sandals she was wearing, up the slit of her dress that stopped just at


    her mid thigh, tempting me to touch her, to feel that skin under my fingers.


    She was the very definition of beautiful and sexy. The dark blue gown she was wearing entuated


    her curves, fitting her like a glove as she walked in, looking at the huge crowd seated at the table.


    Herrge eyes were darting around nervously, as if she was looking for something. And that was good


    because it allowed me to feast on the spectacle in front of me.


    All this time, I had simply seen her in simple dresses, pajamas, or gym wear. There was just one night


    when she had worn a short dress and that night I had almost fucked her by theke, not being able to


    control myself.


    Since that day, I have been trying to put up a wall between us. Truth be told, thest few days had


    been agonizing for me, especially after Drusi suspected 1 had begun to look at my breeder in a new


    light..


    Hell, Zenovia was never meant to be a breeder.


    She was meant to be a queen and rule my heart, rule me.


    The slow tik tok of her heels echoed through the room as I simply gawked at her, unable to tear my


    eyes from her beautiful figure


    And either she was too na?ve to not know what she was doing or was an expert at charming. The blue


    dress she was wearing caught light whenever she moved, and it twinkled in the light, shining like a


    dusting of stars in the night sky.


    The dress did not have a deep neckline, but I did see the way she had filled up in thest month or so


    after the rigorous training and healthy food.


    God damn, she was a siren. A seductress,


    The dress clung to her like a second skin and my eyes gazed fondly at the neckline, letting me get just


    a peek of her cleavage.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    I had to hold on to the armrest of the chair firmly so as to not just walk up and kiss those damn lips of


    hers that were smiling nervously.


    Her gaze traveled through the entire room and settled on me.


    And I did not break eye contact. Beast let out a low growl when she blushed, a rosy tint appearing on


    her cheeks as she smiled shyly and looked down, fidgeting with her dress. Her shoulders were bare


    and her silky hair fell in waves upon her


    shoulders.


    It was too much to bear.


    ¡°Mine,¡± Beast growled in my head and I could not find a way to deny him.


    But then I heard another voice beside me, a breathless whisper.


    ¡°Woah¡± I turned to the side to see Elijah staring at her, unabashedly, if I might add.


    He got up from his seat and promptly went towards her.


    ¡°Hey Zenovia,e, He said and effortlessly held out a hand to her. She gave him a nervous smile


    and slipped her hand in


    his.


    And a hot wave of jealousy crept up my heart when I saw that.


    I quickly tried to stomp over it and looked around to see that I was not the only one who had been


    staring like that at her. Almost everybody was looking at her with a tinge of desire shining in their eyes.


    I tried not to show how it affected me and got up from my seat, clearing my throat loudly.


    The others had been caught in a stupor and there had been a stunned silence all around us for a few


    minutes.


    The sound I made was enough to distract the others, all of whom blinked rapidly and then looked at


    me.


    Elijah was still holding Zenovia¡¯s hand as he guided her to an empty chair and helped her sit on it.


    Nobody except the ranked members of the packs were ever allowed a seat in the meeting of the


    leaders.


    But she was the first rankless girl to have been invited. And it would be rude and impolite to keep such


    a Goddess standing on her feet.


    22:16


    Elijah had opened his mouth to introduce her but one look at me told him to shut up.


    Good. I thought in satisfaction.


    Wait, was I getting jealous of my own gamma for being so easygoing and effortless with her? He was


    like that with everyone,


    so it was not his fault.


    And technically, I had asked him to pay attention to her but then I had made him leave to keep an eye


    on rogue activity.


    ¡°Liar, yo didn¡¯t want him around her¡± Beast teased but I ignored him.


    Everybody¡¯s attention turned to me as I announced, ¡°This is Zenovia Archer, the newest member of my


    pack.¡±


    The one sitting the closest to her spoke, ¡°Greetings Ms. Zenovia, I am Alpha Jackson of the New Moon


    pack.¡±


    Seeing him everybody else followed suit and promptly began to introduce themselves. I tried not to roll


    my eyes at them.


    Just a moment ago, all of them had been worried about the pack and rogue attacks and just the arrival


    of Zenovia had changed them into kicked puppies that needed attention.


    ¡°That is what happens when you bring a young, and avabledy to a testosterone deprived room¡±


    Beast whispered in my


    head.


    ¡°Avable?¡± I asked him and he chuckled.


    ¡°She does not have a mate yet, right?¡± I nodded grudgingly.


    The thought of her meeting her mate and slinking in the arms of any other male made me want to


    break something.


    What was this girl doing to me?


    And as if to prove Beast¡¯s point one of the beta sitting in the far corner asked, ¡°Have you found a mate


    yet, Miss Zenovia?¡±


    The question ignited a spark of curiosity amongst all the unmated alphas, betas, and gammas as they


    subconsciously leaned forward, eager to hear her answer.


    My gaze flicked to Zenovia who gave a shy smile. She pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and


    replied,


    ¡°N-not yet, Mr¡­¡±


    She began and he was prompt to supply, ¡°Alpha Alex. I have the biggest pack in the east¡±


    However, his words were met with a grunt from the right.


    ¡°No, yours is not the biggest pack. Not anymore after plenty of warriors died, and a few left recently¡±


    Alex red at the man who had spoken, and I cleared my throat again.


    ¡°To make it clear. Zenovia belongs to me¡±


    At those words, everybody looked at me in confusion, even Matteo and Elijah.


    Not just them, but even Zenovia blinked and looked at me in surprise.


    ¡°She was¡­offered to me as a gift by alpha Drake Archer of the nightfall pack. He, unfortunately, could


    not attend the meeting today.¡±


    Whispered conversations broke out between the men and Elijah could only shake his head when my


    gaze fell on him.


    ¡°Is she your breeder, King


    One of them was prompt to ask, and I blurted out, ¡°Yes¡± without thinking.


    And when my gaze fell on Zenovia, I saw the smile disappear from her face. To make matters worse,


    her face looked red again, but it was because of humiliation.


    I saw the way she was fighting back the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes and in that


    moment I knew I had fucked up.


    I wove a hand through my hair and announced, ¡°The meeting is over. You all may leave now.¡±


    None of them needed further pushing as they got up from the chairs and hastily left.


    Zenovia too got up from the chair and was about to leave when I said, ¡°Not you, Zenovia. We have to


    talk.¡±

 Chapter 88

    ?


    Zenovia


    I had been so happy a few minutes ago because today was supposed to be an important day in my life.


    I had trained hard for more than a month, religiously followed everything Cahan had asked me to do, and was waiting for the full moon to show up and my wolf to awaken.


    For the first time in my life, I had taken the pains to dress up. Granted, I had worn a nice dress at the ball and even at the party that I went to with Harry, but today was a special day for me.


    I had wanted to walk with my head held high amongst the other alphas for once.


    I had simply wanted to be regarded as a strong and powerful girl, not an unwanted bastard of a child, an omega, or a wolfless person.


    In fact, I had not even wanted toe to this meeting. I was happy with dressing up and then offering some silent prayer to the moon Goddess to grant me my wolf.


    But the way Cahan had introduced me to the others made me feel hurt. The moment he called me his my stomach had fluttered but when he added the word ''breeder'' it made that fluttering die down instantly. Adding to that, I was also reminded of how my father had offered me to him as a gift. Technically, he was not at fault.


    That was the truth. But it hurt nheless.


    The crowd of the other people were leaving the room quietly, and I did not want to make a fuss in front of everyone, so I stayed quiet when he uttered that.


    I had seen the way his eyes had locked me in ce, and those golden eyes re with desire. But like always, I was mistaken that he wanted me as anything more than just a breeder and a property he owned. It made me feel like an omega all over again.


    Cahan stood by the chair, his hand resting on the cushion as the long line of people left the meeting hall.


    When thest of them left, I tried to slink away, but he was quick. Cahan slinked in the narrow space between me and the door and looked at me.


    "I thought I asked you to stay back"


    He said, looking at me intently.


    "Let me go," I said without wanting to look up. I was barely trying to hold back my tears and I did not want to give him the satisfaction of how much he affected me.


    But Cahan took a step forward and closed the door behind him.


    "If I ask you to stay, you stay," He said, locking the door.


    Coiling my hands into fists, I looked up at him, my eyes a little watery.


    "What do you want to talk about?" I asked, not caring that I was not supposed to use this tone with the King.


    Cahan took a step forward, and I retreated a step back again.


    He did not answer, but kept moving forward and I kept retreating until there was no space to move back. The heel of my sandal hit the wall, and I softly bumped into the wall behind me. Despite the anger and irritation bubbling inside of me, I felt my heart quicken.


    ''How stupid of me?"


    I thought and tried to re at him.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, and he raised a hand slowly, almost in a deliberate fashion. He was two heads taller than me, so he had to bend a little to look at me.


    Cahan''s left hand rested on the wall, directly above my head and he leaned forward, his tall figure towering over me.


    "Looking at you," He answered, and that weird fluttering in my stomach returned again.


    "I am sorry, I have to go"


    I said and tried to walk away but his hand shot out and grabbed mine, pulling me back in the same spot again.


    My heart almost leaped out of my throat at the unexpected touch that sent shivers up my spine. It was delicious. It was maddening.


    But it ended all too quickly.


    "You look....different" He said after a while and my eyes looked into those golden orbs again.


    His face was devoid of the usual smirk and the smug or unbothered look that was forever stered on it.


    Instead, he looked a little.... lost.


    A few strands of his hair fell in front of his eyes and I had the mad urge to push them back. In an attempt to stop myself from doing that, I folded my hands upon my chest and shot back. "Yes. I know"


    Really?


    That was what he wanted to talk to me about? And what did he even mean by different? Maybe he meant I looked like a clown or a fancy dresspetition participant.


    Cahan kept looking at me, his eyes fixated on my face. I could not bear to look into his eyes lest he broke my heart again, so I tore my gaze from him.


    "Look at me," He said softly and the weird fluttering in my stomach intensified.


    That voice... it was doing odd things to me.


    Hell, he had not shown up to the gym, been busy the entire day, insulted me in front of everyone and I did not even deserve an apology?


    Maybe he was only used to people saying sorry to him, not the other way around.


    Well, not maybe. He definitely had never apologized to anyone.


    I was fighting a losing war with my feelings. On one hand, my brain wanted me to be mad at him but on the other, my stupid heart was jumping out of my throat due to our nearness.


    My body ached to touch those hands, to feel those fingers on my skin. It had been an eternity since he had been so near to me and was focused just on me.


    When I did not obey hismand, his hand reached up to caress my cheek and I sucked in a breath to steady my nerves.


    "Zee..." He muttered and now there was a full-blown riot of butterflies going on in my stomach. My nerves were tingling and knotting up in so many ces that I felt I would lose the ability to speak. Maybe I already had.


    My eyes fluttered shut even though my brain was ring warning signals at me to step away from him.


    Today was the full moon, I was supposed to go outside, to maybe walk in the moonlight and pray to the Goddess, prepare for the big event.


    But here I was, melting at the touch of the man who kept eluding me.


    I craved his touch, I craved being closer to him, the scent of his cologne, and those damn eyes that turned my knees to jelly.


    His thumb was slowly caressing my cheek, making me concentrate on that specific spot on my entire body.


    The way his rough and calloused hands stroked my skin made goosebumps appear all over me.


    I had been dying to see his reaction when he would see me wearing the dress. And it would not be wrong to say that I had imagined him doing just this- throwing everybody else out of the room and locking the door from the inside with just him and I. Frankly, I had expected a lot more, but I was not sure if I was hoping for too much.


    "You...you were not there at the gym today," I blurted out in a grumbling tone.


    Cahan leaned forward and whispered, "I am here...now"


    He spoke and the way his voice caressed me made my bones turn to jelly.


    "Drusi said you need me for something. Please tell me what it is," I said and the fire raging in his eyes died abruptly.


    In an instant, the cold mask was back on his face.


    "She told you what?" He asked, straightening again and putting some distance between us.


    And I hated him for doing that. Why did he have to step away?


    "You have been hiding something from me. If you want me to help you, the least you can do is be honest about it."


    I said, and the way his eyes looked at me made me shiver. It did not arouse me, but sent a chill down my spine.


    "You know my curse, right? I will go feral if I don''t find a cure soon. I will be trapped in the lycan body forever. Drusi has been trying to search in vain for a cure, but she never found anything. And somehow, her visions told her that you would be able to somehow prevent that."


    He had been so secretive about it all this time and now... he just told me the truth, just like that? Not that I wouldin about it.


    I only looked at him, and his concerned face that looked so gorgeous up close, waiting for more exnation, for more words to tumble out of his mouth.


    Then why hide it from me all this time? And why did I feel that he was not telling me all of it?


    "If you knew what I truly was, you wouldn''t want me," He said and I could only stare at him nkly.


    The words Drusi had spoken were ringing in my ears, of how falling for him was risky. He might never be able to turn into a human again and slowly be a true animal. But then why was my heart willing to ignore that? Why did I feel such a great pull towards him? I felt I had to know what was going on since he was here, in front of me, just like he said a while ago.


    "Are you going to push me away?" I blurted out.


    Wait.


    I was not going to ask him that, but then why did those words leave my mouth?N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    As if in response to my question, he leaned a bit more, his forehead almost touching mine. Those golden orbs were burning with a fire that wanted to consume me, devour me.


    "I am trying but I am failing"


    He answered, and those words cut through my heart.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Cahan


    Zenovia was driving me on the edge. I was not sure why whenever I tried to push myself away from


    her, my body and my heart craved her even more.


    She was so innocent, so brave, and so gullible. The day I brought her home, I had only hoped to right


    some of my wrongs.


    I was known as the cold, ruthless, and arrogant Lycan King who shut himself off from the rest of the


    world.


    And there was a good reason I had done so. I had suffered a lot and was still paying the price.


    And somehow, I did not want this poor, innocent girl to be dragged into my mess, in the hell I was living.


    The words slipped away from my mouth before I could stop them. Zenovia looked at me curiously,


    demanding an exnation.


    I had always been cold to her, and kept pushing her away, yet she had not left me. And somehow I felt


    relieved that she was still standing by the wall, staring at me with a slightly open mouth.


    My hands wanted to pull her close, to hug her, but I recalled Drusi¡¯s words of how it might not be a


    good decision to get involved with Zenovia.


    But no other girl had stirred my feelings as much as my littlemb. I always felt a rush of pleasure


    traveling through my veins, going straight to my cock whenever I called her ¡®mine¡¯


    Zenovia had demanded me to im her back then, and it had crumbled my will. She was doing it again


    now.


    I stepped back again so as to not crush her lips, tear that dress away, and bury my cock into her.


    It was maddening, but I still did it. For her.


    Nothing,¡± I said after taking a deep breath to calm my nerves.


    ¡°No, tell me. What is it? Why did you say that?¡± She asked as she came forward, crossing the few


    steps of distance between us easily.


    ¡°I told you enough since you asked me to be honest with you. Drusi thinks you might be able to help


    break the curse, but I have no idea how.¡±


    Zenovia was not convinced, and she took a step forward again. ¡°Since you were honest with me, I will


    be honest with you


    too¡±


    She looked down and fumbled with her fingers as she muttered, ¡°I¡­.I think¡­ I have a crush on you¡±


    She said, and my heart almost swelled like a balloon.


    She had a crush on me? She liked me?


    But I had been nothing except an asshole to her.


    ¡°Crushes¡­.they fade away,¡± I spoke after racking my brain to think of a suitable response.


    I wanted her to want me, but also did not. It was so fucking annoying.


    ¡°Not always,¡± she said and stepped forward and I tried to control the rapid beating of my heart.


    It was beating wildly, and I had to work hard to tone it down because I feared she would hear the war


    drums ringing in my


    ears.


    I could not lose her too.


    Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair, not knowing what to answer to that.


    Zenovia came forward and held her hand in mine, her touch soft and gentle. She brought it up to her


    face and kissed my knuckles.


    Damn, this girl was making it so hard for me to stay sane.


    Her lips brushed my skin and the tender kiss made me want more of it, more of her.


    Just why did fate have to be so cruel to me? Had I not suffered enough?


    ¡°Zenovia, please understand. I am not what you think of me. I am cursed and your crush will fade away


    when you meet your mate.¡±


    The words were harsh and felt like somebody was piercing daggers through my skin, but I said them


    nheless.


    ¡°How can you be so sure of that?¡± She said and took another step forward. She slowly reached for my


    other hand and cupped it too, before kissing the knuckles of both hands again.


    This girl was taking down the walls and the entire fortress I had built around my heart, brick by brick.


    And all she had to use was her dove like face and angelic eyes.


    I felt my breath choke. Her way of showing her emotions was so pure, so very raw and genuine.


    I doubted they made girls like her anymore.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you try to run away from me? Not once, but twice? The monster you thought me to be¡­ I am


    that, and much more.¡±


    I repeated, fighting my own damn self.


    But Zenovia let go of my hand and simply took another step forward. She was too small, too fragile, but


    she was stubborn as


    hell.


    ¡°I was wrong. Based on what your friend told me and the way you treat your pack, I can see you are


    not a bad person. You just don¡¯t know how to be nice.¡±


    She said and brought her face closer to mine, too damn close.


    I should have stepped away, but I didn¡¯t. Trying to make my voice sound even, I added,


    I did not even want to drag you into this, but she was persistent. But she has warned me one thing: that


    if we want to work together in this, we cannot let emotions get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Toote for that¡±


    She said and before I could say anything else; she raised on her heels and pulled at my cor, crashing


    her lips upon mine.


    And just like that, I forgot everything else.


    My body responded hungrily, finally having gotten what I had been denying for all these months.


    I kissed her back and my hands went around her small frame, wanting to kiss all of her at once.


    I did not care if it was the meeting hall or if the rest of the people could hear us. None of it mattered.


    The only thing that


    mattered was that she was kissing me and that she wanted me.


    Her lips opened under mine as my hands roamed over her bare back. I loved the way she was


    responding to me and my touch.


    And I just could not find any more reasons to not give in to my desires. So I kissed her hungrily,


    passionately and the sweet sounds that she made were driving me hungrier.


    My gaze had been on the slit of her dress for so long and now my hands slid on that perfect, silky fabric


    that was clinging to her skin as I slowly lifted her in my arms.


    Zenovia gave a startled cry, but she did not object. Our lips broke contact for a brief second, but she


    brought her lips back to mine again and I could not help but smile at that.


    ¡°You are so damn persuasive,¡± I spoke as she nibbled at my lower lip, making me go insane.


    Zenovia chuckled in response as my hand went up her legs and rested on her butt, squeezing it gently.


    She moaned and threw her head back as I held onto her tightly before slowly cing her on the huge


    table.


    Thankfully, there was no furniture to crash, so there was no sound of breaking china or something, just


    the sweet lustful moans of mymb as I kissed and sucked at her skin.


    ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this, Zee? Are you sure you want this? That you want me, despite


    knowing that Drusi said it would be dangerous?¡±


    I asked, pulling my lips apart when I ced her on the table. My hands were nted on either side of


    her small frame that was caged in my embrace.


    I could hear her little heart beating wildly, and her chapped lips were wide open. I had barely started


    kissing her, but it was getting increasingly hard to stay away from her.


    Especially after hearing from those sweet lips that she was crushing on me.


    Many girls had said that to me before. Even Cynthia wouldn¡¯t leave a chance to hover beside me. But


    no other girl came close to the fire this girl could ignite in my heart.


    ¡°If it is dangerous, let the danger be mine to take. If a heart is going to break, let it be mine.¡±


    Those words cut through my heart faster than any weapon ever could. This girl barely knew me, my


    secrets, the things I had done¡­yet she was willing to risk so much¡­why?


    I could not understand what could make her so desperate.


    ¡°Zenovia, if you awaken your wolf, you would have taken the next step to be whatever Drusi wants


    you to be. It might be risky, it might be dangerous. I don¡¯t even know the degree of danger involved.¡±


    But she raised her hand and cupped my cheek, making a shiver run down my spine.


    ¡°I know a little. She wants me to be your anchor, your tether. The thing that keeps you grounded and


    not let your Lycan takeplete control over you.¡±


    My eyes went wide at that.


    ¡°She told you?¡±


    Zenovia shook her head, ¡°Not directly. But in bits and pieces. And I was finally able to piece it all


    together today.¡±


    My heart began to race wildly. If she walked away now, I would not know what to do.


    I feared it would just be her crush that was making her want me and when she learned of my secrets,


    she would shun me, abhor me.


    ¡°And you want to risk it all?¡±


    She leaned forward, pulling my head closer. ¡°Only if you make it worth it¡±


    She said mischievously, and I felt as if there was still a chance for me to rewrite my fate.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Zenovia


    I had been holding back for too long, confused for even longer. But today there was no going back. The


    ache I had felt in my heart, in my very soul, with him not being around, was too much to bear.


    I had tried to push the thought of him away from my head, but the second he was close to me, I knew I


    wanted his hands all over me, wanted his lips to kiss me, to worship me.


    Today was going to be the day I awakened my wolf. I felt it in my


    bones.


    And there was nothing more interesting than having Cahan with me. He had been the one to train


    me, to push me to my limits, so tonight I wanted to thank him for putting so much effort into me.


    I wanted those eyes to never leave mine as he caressed me, as he called me ¡®Zee, the name sounding


    sweet as a forgotten, timeless melody to my ears.


    So I shamelesslyid out my feelings in front of him. It was a risky affair since he could always break


    my heart and telling him I fantasized about him was giving him power over me, but he had had that


    power for way too long.


    Denying that was doing me no good. As for the warning of Drusi¡­.we could see what happened to it


    when push came to shove.


    For now, I wanted to stay trapped in his arms as his lips kept kissing me hungrily. I arched back, giving


    him more ess as his lips opened mine.


    My tongue lost the battle against him quite easily and submitted, just like the rest of my body. I felt as if


    I was floating, as if I was flying as Cahan¡¯s hands brushed my skin, each touch igniting a spark within


    me.


    I did not want to stop; I did not want him to stop¡­but the hour hand of the clock struck twelve and the


    sound reached my ears. However, his ears were sharper, and he tore away from my lips after bending


    me backward to leave trailing kisses on my chin.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    He had barely begun, and the abrupt way he pulled back again made me grumble at the loss of


    contact.


    Heat was pooling in between my thighs, heat that only he could satiate. Was it my wolf who was feeling


    the need to be with him, driving me insane, or was it my own selfish feelings?


    I had no idea.


    Cahan looked into my eyes, those golden eyes shining brighter like orbs and muttered, ¡°I¡­.think we


    should go down and see if you awaken your wolf first. I don¡¯t want to start something¡­just to be


    stopped midway¡±


    The


    way his eyes darkened told me exactly what he had meant. And somehow, I did not feel afraid of it.


    In fact, I saw myself leaning into his embrace, wanting to offer myself up to him.


    ¡°We have to go out?¡± I asked, and then bit my tongue for sounding so stupid.


    Cahan pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear and muttered, ¡°Yes. Being under the moonlight helps.


    So let us give your wolf a full chance of showing up¡±


    Saying so, he held out a hand for me and I slipped it in his effortlessly. There was a smile on his face,


    unlike his usual smirk.


    He seemed truly happy¡­or maybe it was my mind ying tricks on me.


    But I let him guide me outside the meeting hall. It was on the ground floor and luckily, after such a long


    and tiring meeting, everybody had left.


    Now I was beginning to feel nervous all over again. What if I did not feel anything? What if my wolf


    never showed up again?


    I would not have the confidence to even look into his eyes after all the effort he had put into me.


    However, Cahan pulled me close, and his touch was reassuring as he led me outside. The warmth in


    his hands wasforting and slowly we made it outside the front yard.


    Except for a few servants, there was nobody around. All the alphas and other members had left, yet I


    was wary of making a fool of myself in front of the servants.


    Awakening a wolf was a big thing, and I did not want them to watch as I transformed, it would make me


    nervous.


    Cahan looked at the sky that had a few clouds behind which the moon was hiding.


    ¡°Guess, you will have to wait for some time¡±


    He said and I bit my lip nervously while looking around at the huge garden.


    ¡°Zee, rx. You will surely awaken your wolf this time. And even if you don¡¯t, there is always next


    month.¡±


    However, I shook my head.


    ¡°I¡­I thought maybe I could go somewhere where I don¡¯t have an audience,¡± I said, casting nces at


    the servants who were busy with chores.


    Cahan¡¯s gaze followed mine, and he chuckled, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind them. They are so used to seeing us


    run around like wolves that they don¡¯t even bother anymore.¡±


    But I was not convinced. He tilted his head and asked, ¡°Or do you want to be alone? Likepletely


    alone?¡±


    ¡°No, I want you¡± I spoke so fast that the grin on his face was back again.


    ¡°Keep saying that and I will forget about your awakening,¡± He said, and I saw the way his eyes


    darkened.


    ¡°I¡­I meant I wanted you to be beside me. I don¡¯t want to be alone. Just not here¡±


    I rified, and Cahan seemed to be enjoying my situation. He chuckled and scratched his chin as if


    he was in some deep thought.


    ¡°Do you want to go outside, then? But then, I don¡¯t want rogues to attack us, so we have to be in a safe


    perimeter.¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°Hmm, alright. Then we can go to the small trail that leads to the pack house. It is not very far and has


    a good clearing in between where moonlight would fall on the ground directly¡±


    He said, but I did not immediately agree to it. I had been thinking about the ce I wanted to be at


    when I found my wolf.


    Last time, I had simply half-rolled in the mud and grass while my wolf tried tomunicate with me and


    show herself out of my body.


    I did not want that.


    Images of a night began shing through my mind. A night I had spent with Cahan. The moonlight


    had shone perfectly on the hugeke and there was ample open ground around it.


    The night beside theke where he had punished me, and devoured me.


    Somehow, I felt theke and the premises would be a good option to awaken my wolf and have no


    audience except Cahan. It was also not too far from the mansion, but it was fairly secluded and


    nobody frequented that ce.


    He was waiting for an answer, so I slowly looked up and asked, ¡°Can we go to that clearing beside the


    lake?¡±


    And the reaction on his face was priceless. I saw the smirk disappear from his face and the golden orbs


    fire up with an intensity that could have reduced me to ashes.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He asked, and I nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Cahan did not waste time as he turned us around and headed toward the garage, where several of


    his cars were parked.


    And my heart did a little happy dance when he chose the same car we had driven to thekest time.


    He hopped into the car and turned the ignition on while I stared nervously at the open door.


    Maybe I was being too bold for stating what I wanted so directly and upfront. I had never been so brave


    before.


    And I hoped I would not disappoint myself tonight as I slowly stepped into the car and he began driving


    it to our destination.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    The ride to theke was slow and I could not help but feel the tension in the air, in the small cabin


    space of the car with just me and Cahan.


    I had blurted out my fascination with him quite stupidly, unabashedly, if I might add, and I could not


    even me having done that under the influence of alcohol.


    If he simply yed with my emotions and left me broken, it would leave me with nowhere to go.


    I fidgeted with my fingers as Cahan drove the car in silence: The drive was short, but it felt like an


    eternity before we reached there.


    I could see the way he was clutching the steering wheel and the way he was looking outside, the veins


    in his throat almost popping out.


    Had I freaked him out? Definitely not. He was the King of werewolves, for Goddess¡¯ sake. How could


    someone like me unnerve him?


    I tried to focus on the scenery outside. Just likest time, it was dark and I could faintly see the varying


    shades of green when the car¡¯s light shone on them.


    Cahan drove the car gently, and I leaned on the window, trying to calm my jittery nerves.


    I had to focus on awakening my wolf. For better or worse, now Cahan would witness either my


    sess or my failure to do


    1.


    I had to ignore my fascination with him and focus on how to shift. I would not have the courage to meet


    his eyes if I failed yet again.


    My gaze inadvertently traveled to the sky above. The night was getting darker, and the moon was


    hidden behind the trees and a few clouds.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    There was a light dusting of the stars in the sky, just like my dress, I thought with a smile.


    In the next few minutes, we reached theke.


    Cahan turned the ignition off and finally turned to look at me. His golden eyes were a stark contrast


    to the dark shade all around me.


    Those eyes looked even more enticing in the serene atmosphere around us.


    ¡°Step out. Let us find a spot where you arepletely in the moonlight¡±


    I nodded and gathered the folds of my dress before stepping out. The first thing I noticed was the


    slightly cold wind that caressed my skin.


    It was a gentle cool breeze, probably due to theke nearby. Cahan had his back turned at me as he


    was surveying the area, and I tore my gaze away from the broad torso and the ripped muscles that


    were hidden underneath the fabric of his shirt.


    ¡°There,¡± He said, pointing to a small clearing just a few feet away from us.


    My gaze traveled to the spot and indeed, the moonlight was falling directly on thend, on the soft


    des of grass that twinkled with water drops shining like diamonds.


    Without saying a word, I began walking towards the spot, careful not to trip and make a fool of myself.


    Cahan led the way, and I felt his hand brush mine when we walked and I did my best to ignore the


    sensation of his touch.


    I stepped into the clearing and stood directly under the spot, gathering the folds of my dress.


    Cahan looked up at the sky and then at me and nodded to himself.


    ¡°Looks good to me¡±


    I too looked up at the moon and then at myself, wondering what would happen. Would I immediately


    feel a tingling sensation and grow fur? Or would I roll in the mud like earlier?


    My hand kept brushing the dress and adjusting the folds. When I looked up a bit again, I saw Cahan


    staring at me intently.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I managed to utter.


    But he did not look away.


    ¡°Like what?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You are making me nervous,¡± I added, biting my lower lip.


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You asked me to be here and look at you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Not literally¡±


    He frowned and shook his head, but turned his attention somewhere else.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go check the car. She is making some odd noises. Meanwhile, you soak in the


    moonlight, I guess¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said in a small voice. I was relieved that he was around but not staring down at me like a


    teacher anticipating their student to perform well in an exam.


    I looked up at the brightly shining moon and sped my hands together, ¡°O dear Goddess of Moon. I


    am not sure what prayer one offers to you to wish for something. But I hope you are hearing my pleas


    and can see me now. I pray to you to grant me my wish, of making me whole. A werewolf is iplete


    without their wolf. Pleaseplete me and allow me ess to the power that makes us your


    creatures.¡±


    I opened my eyes and saw that Cahan had thrown the car¡¯s hood open and was checking


    something.


    So I quietly added, ¡°Also, help me free him of the curse. He is your child, too. He is a little stubborn but


    not a bad guy¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what else to add, so I kept staring at the moon with my hands sped in a prayer and


    trying to focus if I could feel something, anything.


    When my neck began to hurt after looking up for a while, my gaze automatically drifted to Cahan.


    He had his sleeves rolled and was working on something. I could only stare at that handsome man,


    wondering what secrets he was hiding.


    Cahan was not very old to have lived a long life and suffered at the hands of fate. He was barcly a


    few years older than me and quite young to be a king in the first ce.


    The way his hands moved told me he knew what he was doing. He could repair cars, fight bad guys,


    dance, train ate bloomer like me, and rule a Kingdom. Was there something he couldn¡¯t do?


    ¡°Done gawking at me¡± He asked without turning to look at me.


    His words brought me back to reality, and I abruptly looked away.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t gawking¡±


    He wiped his hands on a cloth and began walking towards me.


    ¡°Anything yet?¡± He asked, ignoring my earlier answer.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, lowering my head.


    Doubt began to creep up my heart, but he replied, ¡°It has barely been ten minutes and you are already


    giving up?¡±


    I clutched at the dress¡¯ folds to hide my nervousness. ¡°Rx. Sometimes it takes time. It is a natural


    process.¡±


    I nodded without looking up, and he slowly reached for my hand, that was ying with the folds.


    I tried not to gasp at the sudden touch as he took a step closer and replied, ¡°Stop distracting yourself


    with the dress or anything else. Empty your mind¡±


    I looked up at him as he stepped into the spot with me. We both were standing in the clearing as if the


    moon was shining a spotlight just on us.


    It felt surreal to be with him as the moonlight shone on him, giving him a faint white hue like an angel¡¯s


    aura.


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± I said in an effort to not show just how gorgeous he looked.


    Cahan added sternly, ¡°Sure, that slit of your dress is distracting. But close your eyes and try to call to


    your wolf. Did you


    do that?¡±


    I-mentally pped myself. I didn¡¯t even think of doing that.


    Immediately, I closed my eyes and tried to do what he suggested. My hands were sped in his and I


    felt reassured that I would be okay, that I was safe.


    ¡°Hey, this is me, Zenovia. I know you are struggling toe out. And I am dying to meet you. I know


    you are in there somewhere, Pleasee forward.¡±


    I spoke in my head, and at first, I did not feel anything.


    And then there was the faintest sound, as low as a distant hum. It was so faint that it felt as if I had


    imagined it.


    My eyes flew open, and I blurted out excitedly, ¡°I¡­I felt something¡±

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Zenovia


    ¡°I¡­I felt something,¡± I muttered, and subconsciously pulled Cahan toward me. He let me as I almost


    bumped into his


    chest.


    ¡°That is great,¡± He said and added, ¡°Close your eyes and keep trying. Focus on that feeling¡±


    I nodded excitedly and closed my eyes again. I tried to sense it again, my mind searching for that tug I


    had felt in the back of my stomach as if something was pulling at me.


    But there was nothing.


    I focused hard, but again I felt emptiness. Feeling nervous, my eyes flew open, and I blurted out


    worriedly,


    ¡°It¡­ it is gone. I can¡¯t feel anything. I¡­can¡¯t¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Cahan responded, cing a finger on my lips to silence me.


    The gesture was so intimate that I shuddered involuntarily. He didn¡¯t seem to notice it.


    ¡°It wille to you. Believe in it. Believe in yourself. Keep trying. I am right here¡±


    Cahan said in a soothing voice, and I let myself calm down. This was a new side of Cahan to me.


    I had never seen him speak so gently to anyone, and I had never imagined him doing that to me.


    His voice was soft like a caress, bathing me in a warm feeling.


    I closed my eyes as my fingers held onto him tightly and tried searching for that pull. I had begun


    praying to the moon goddess again. I had definitely not imagined it.


    ¡°Please, please, let it happen¡± My mind was chanting and suddenly out of nowhere I felt a bolt of


    current pass through me.


    It seemed to emerge from the base of my stomach and travel up, shooting straight towards my spine


    and traveling upwards.


    ¡°Aah,¡± I winced and grabbed onto Cahan¡¯s hand tightly.


    The next few moments were something I would never forget.


    Pain, blinding and visceral, tore through me. It was as if a beast that had been in a deep slumber was


    awakening from its slumber, shaking the cave it had been resting in for so long.


    ¡°Aah,¡± I cried again and felt my knees wobble. My entire body was shaking and I couldn¡¯t find the


    strength to keep standing.


    I crashed to the ground, and I felt a muchrger thud resound beside me. Despite the pain, I noticed a


    pair of hands were still holding me tightly, not letting me go.


    But the pain was too intense to let me focus on anything else.


    I threw my head back and my eyes flew open as I stared at the moon. It appeared blurry at first, as if it


    was enveloped by a hazy cloud, but then it swam into focus.


    I hardly got a moment to breathe when another bolt of pain shot up my spine.


    My eyes watered, and at some point, I let go of the hands holding me. ¡°Nooo¡±


    I wed at the earth to get a grip on myself as my body seemed to convulse and bend. My stomach


    was rioting as if I would- throw up and my head felt disoriented.


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    ¡°What is happening?¡± I asked and Cahan replied,


    ¡°You are shifting, Zee. You can do it. Fight it. Fight the pain¡±


    Those words and his soothing voice gave me a moment of relief. I was doing it, I could do it, I tried to


    recite it but another wave of pain shot me.


    I doubled back and fell on the ground, my face eating dirt. The pain was so intense that I wed at the


    grass viciously, trying to dig into the earth, trying to findfort.


    And to make matters worse, I was feeling extremely hot. As if I had been thrown in a st furnace. My


    bones began to snap, and I felt as if a few of them had cracked.


    At some point, tears began streaming out of my eyes and I cried as the pain almost rattled me. No


    amount of training could have prepared me for this.


    The heat felt like liquid fire running through my veins, recing blood and melting my bones and flesh.


    Was I dying?


    No, Cahan didn¡¯t sound too worried. I had to trust him. I had to trust this process.


    But no matter how much I tried, the pain showed no signs of stopping. It felt as if someone was cutting


    my skin could do nothing except watch and endure.


    ¡°Please, make it go away!!¡±


    open


    and I


    I begged, and I felt two hands pull me close. The familiar scent of Cahan¡¯s cologne reached me and


    my mouth watered.


    He embraced me with one hand and pushed the hair stered to my face with the other.


    ¡°You are a strong girl, Zee. I know it. You know it too. Fight, my littlemb.¡±


    The way his voice sounded made my skin shiver. How could he believe in me when I was literally


    screaming on the forest ground, sweaty and confused?


    ¡°It¡¯s hurting¡±


    I cried and my hand reached to my belly as I tried to clutch it.


    ¡°The dress. Probably you need to get rid of it.¡±


    ¡°Do it¡±


    I said without hesitation. At this point, I wouldn¡¯t mind if somebody took my skin away too. I just wanted


    the pain to go


    away.


    Cahan hesitated, and I repeated, ¡°DO IT¡±


    He did not need further pleading. His hand went to the sleeves of my dress and he gently tugged at it,


    careful not to hurt me in the process.


    The sleeve fell limply to the side and next, he pulled the other sleeve off too.


    I took in lungfuls of air when he tore the front of my dress. It was as if my chest was caged and it was


    finally free.


    ¡°Breathe¡± He patted my back as I bent down, my head touching the forest ground and taking in deep,


    raspy breaths.


    I was covered in sweat and muck, and no amount of air seemed to cool me down.


    ¡°Hot, I feel so hot,¡± I mumbled and tugged at my hair, not knowing how long it would take.


    ¡°Talk to your wolf. She is trying to force herself out. Tell her to be slow and that you are helping her¡±


    I had not heard her voice in my head yet, but I did what he said, nheless.


    ¡°Please, I am here for you, my wolf. Take it slow¡±


    Immediately, I felt the heat go down a little. Had that been because of her furious attempts to break out


    of the cage?


    I did not know why it was taking so long. But then I had never really seen someone awaken their wolf.


    ¡°Did she show up?¡± Cahan asked, and I shook my head.


    He frowned, unsure of what to speak. I felt like a failure. All of this training and rigorous dieting had


    been for nothing.


    It seemed like my wolf was stuck behind some unknown barrier


    I could only cry. But Chan seemed to have another n.


    ¡°Well then, let us help her,¡± He said and before I could ask what he meant, Cahan¡¯s hands went


    around me and he pulled


    me up.


    I could not even give a startled cry, I just rested my head on his chest as he hoisted me up and carried


    me.


    But where was he taking me?


    His strides were long and in just under a minute, I felt something cool ssh upon me.


    He had brought me to theke to calm down the heat.


    The cold water helped me, and I immediately felt my body rx. The heat seemed to ebb down


    considerably, but the pain was still there.


    T-thanks,¡± I managed to mutter and let the cooling sensation of the water wash over me.


    The heat was now at a manageable level, but then I felt a different kind of heat pool bubble inside of


    me, between my legs to be specific.


    Cahan was holding me by the waist, looking at me with concern.


    And I was staring at him, at the way the shirt clung to his perfectly chiseled body, at the way water


    dripped down his head, flowing down his face.


    Goddess, help me.


    The heat began to grow more intense, demanding me to pull him close and let my hands roam all over


    his body.


    I looked down, trying to hide my face as a blush crept up my face. Scandalous thoughts began to pop


    up in my head, involving both of us.


    He would think I am such a loser for hiding under the pretense of awakening a wolf.


    So I tried to bring my legs together and fight the heat pooling inside of me.


    Goddess, this was so humiliating. He was here to help me awaken my wolf, not make me explore my


    wild fantasies.


    I tried to put some distance between us. Would turning away from him help?


    I had no idea, but I could not stare at that face for long without leaning in to kiss him. So I did the only


    sensible thing I could


    think of.


    I turned away and tried to close my eyes, fighting the urge and the pain.


    But then I felt a wall of muscle touch my bare back and a hand brush my shoulder.


    ¡°You are going in heat¡±


    Author¡¯s note: Hey lovelies, I will try to get more chapters written on the weekend. If you like the story


    so far, please leave a review,ment and you can even reward me with a gift if you wish. It would


    motivate me a lot.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    Zenovia


    My heart almost stopped beating for a millisecond when he said that. How did he know?


    Well shit, I forgot he could probably smell my arousal.


    But then shouldn¡¯t the water tame it down? I felt so nervous to even turn around and face him.


    I had already stupidly blurted out my crush for him and now he could smell my arousal. What would he


    think of me?


    I tried crossing my legs, which was difficult given we were standing in shallow water but I did it


    nheless.


    I also realized that my dress was half-torn, the sleeves hanging down limply at my sides.


    Shit. I must be looking like a desperate and horny female to him.


    Despite the desire raging inside of me, I tried to step away. But Cahan was quick..


    He came forward and I instinctively looked down, ashamed to even meet his eyes.


    ¡°Zee, look at me,¡± He said softly but my gaze was fixated on the water gentlypping around us. The


    moonlight was twinkling on the water¡¯s surface, making it look like we were surrounded by liquid silver.


    When I did not, his tone became a bit stern.


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    ¡°Zee, that is an order¡±


    I slowly looked up at him and muttered, ¡°I¡­I am not sure what is happening to me. I thought after all


    the training, I would be in better control.¡±


    He raised a hand to ce it under my chin and replied, ¡°Who said you aren¡¯t?¡±


    I tried to swallow back the tears building up inside of me. ¡°This¡­what you are going through¡­is


    natural. We awaken our wolves and not everybody learns how to adapt to the changes in the first go.¡±


    ¡°B-But, I am ate bloomer already. And it is not even my birthday¡­and I dragged you here, bbered


    all nonsense and now I can¡¯t even transform yet you¡­you can sense¡­¡±


    He looked at me as if waiting for me toplete, ¡°I can sense¡­what?¡±


    ¡°My¡­my arousal¡­¡± I answered meekly and my cheeks turned a bright shade of red.


    Cahan took a step forward and I gulped, ¡°Are you not going to ask me likest time?¡±


    His words made my eyes nearly pop out of my sockets.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± I stammered.


    ¡°So you are telling me, you can kiss me in the meeting hall but now that you are all wet¡­ you are


    suddenly prudish?¡±


    ¡°I am not prudish¡± I answered with a huff and his voice was even when he said, ¡°Prove it¡±


    My heart was thudding so hard that I felt it would explode.


    And as if in response to his statement, I felt heat start to build up in my core again.


    Cahan was looking intently at me and I was failing this battle. Miserably.


    ¡°Maybe you need a little help. You can barely stand straight,¡± He said when I did not answer and he


    bent down a little.


    And with a single motion, he reached for the fabric of my gown and I felt his hands brush the folds of


    the soft fabric that he tore away to reach my legs.


    He only meant to make me stand straight but I let out a shriek and nearly slipped when I felt his fingers


    brush behind my knee. Not wanting to fall, I clutched at his shirt for support and in that instant, his hand


    wrapped around my waist and he pulled me up.


    He was holding me in his arms and he tried to push me into the water again.


    ¡°Wait, no!!¡±


    I scrambled up, almost climbing him up like a cat, clutching him tightly and he did that again, lowering


    my head in the


    water.


    ¡°No, what are you doing?¡±


    I shrieked but he took a few steps forward where the water was less shallow and repeated his attempt


    at drowning me. At least, it felt like that was what he was doing.


    ¡°Cahan, no!!¡± I tried to repeat but then his hand went around my legs and I thought he was pulling me


    down again.


    So I wrapped them around his waist automatically and locked them behind his back, not wanting to


    give him a chance to throw me in the water again.


    A slow smile spread on his face and I realized what he had done. A bit toote. While I was climbing


    him up like a cat, he had gathered my dress in a heap and thrown it away on the dry patch ofnd.


    I felt something poke in between my legs, something hard.


    And I tried not to blush.


    ¡°THAT is also natural¡­stop fighting it,¡± He said and I realized that I was just in my bra and panties


    again.


    ¡°Dru¡­ Drusi warned me not to fall for you¡±


    He lowered his head and our foreheads were touching, ¡°Then don¡¯t¡±


    My dress had been discarded in the mud at the edge of theke and we were a bit deeper into the


    waters.


    The cold water and breeze suddenly made me feel chilly and I shivered as another hot wave of heat


    blossomed in my core and traveled all the way up to my hands.


    I could not fight it anymore. I would worry about his jabs and pokes and how he would call me names


    later.


    Thus, with shivering hands, I pulled his shirt and my lips touched his again.


    I heard a soft grunt in response as we began kissing as if our lives depended on it. There was nothing


    soft and sweet about it.


    This was raw, pure want.


    Cahan¡¯s hand traveled up my butt and he squeezed it while another went to my hair and roamed


    through it.


    My body was making me do odd things again but I did not mind as it was with Cahan, someone I


    trusted with my body and desires.


    The water waspping at us as he crushed my lips and leaned forward while tightly clutching to me so


    that I would not fall.


    I smiled at that. This man was heavenly.


    The kiss ignited the already raging heat inside of me and I wanted his lips all over me again. My entire


    body was craving for him, wanting him.


    I did not care what Drusi thought, her visions would not always be right either way. So I pushed her


    thoughts away and reached for his head, burying my fingers in his silky hair.


    His hair was soft and I recalled the days I had thought of doing exactly this, touching him and kissing


    him while we were in the gym, while we were training or arguing over something¡­


    Cahan grunted as his hands traveled up my butt, slowly roaming over my back as his kiss deepened.


    My head fell back to allow him more ess as my legs coiled tightly around his waist. I was shivering


    due to the carnal desires raging in me and he had barely kissed me.


    My tongue lost the battle against his and he explored my mouth before bringing out his teeth to nibble


    at my lower lip.


    Holding it between his lips he tugged at it and pulled before letting go as I closed my eyes, letting my


    emotions consume


    1.


    I was not even aware when I had started to slowly move. No, I was not moving. I was rubbing my


    thighs upon him, stroking and straddling him.


    This was maddening.


    I needed more of him so my hands reached for the fabric of his shirt and tried to yank it off.


    I wanted to touch his bare skin. He did not mind and kept on kissing as I struggled with the buttons


    before I opened three of them.


    My hand slinked below the fabric and I heard him growl. His grip on my back tightened too as the water


    flowed down my


    hair.


    And I let my fingers roam over his chest, over those abs that I had always yearned to touch. Did he eat


    bricks for breakfast and iron for dinner?


    That was the most ripped physique I had everid my hands on¡­or any body for that matter. His body


    seemed to be sculpted by the Goddess herself because I could not find fault with anything. He had a


    perfect six pack, his muscles were shaped like a bodybuilder and his face made my knees turn wobbly


    whenever I saw him. Not to forget that damn smirk and his too highly kissable lips.


    No touching him just with my hands was not enough. So I leaned forward when he let go of my lower


    lip and he met my eyes for a brief second. There were so many emotions on that face that I could not


    comprehend which one of them was making him want me. His eyes looked like fiery orbs and I saw my


    face reflected in them as he stared at me, hungrily.


    Slowly, I pushed the fabric of the shirt aside and lowered my lips, kissing him softly on the chest, right


    above his heart.


    i


    And Cahan went suddenly still. I felt the tension in his muscles as he held his breath. Did he want me


    to stop?


    But then he would have asked me to do that, right?

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    Zenovia


    I felt Cahan go rigid as I ced my lips on his chest, slowly kissing him. And I heard the heartbeat


    under his chest.


    It was beating..no it was racing faster than a race car.


    ¡°Curse be damned¡± He muttered and I looked up to see what happened.


    But all I saw was the fire burning in his eyes, raw and real. The golden orbs of his eyes were now two


    balls of liquid gold, the only stark contrast against the blues of the sky and water all around me.


    He let out a breath and then his mouth came down on me, hard.


    I barely let out a shriek as he began kissing me again, hungrily. I too responded feverishly as he tugged


    at my hair pulling my head back to give him better ess.


    Cahan had taken charge of the situation and heat red down there again.


    Goddess, how was I supposed to think of anything else when this man was kissing me?


    But he nned to do just more than kiss for he plopped me down and turned me around, my back


    mming into his.


    ¡°What is wro-¡± I began but his hands traveled down and pushed my legs apart.


    And I sucked in a breath when his fingers began trailing up all the way up over the inner side of my


    thigh.


    I felt tingling shivers run down my spine as his hand stroked me and I tried not to shudder.


    This was hot.


    His fingers were stroking me, caressing me as he slowly reached up the lining of my panties. His thumb


    traveled along the edge, taunting me and checking my reaction.


    And an udy like voice left my mouth. A moan.


    Before I could stop it, another one left my lips as his thumb dipped inside, leaving me breathless.


    I shuddered as his thumb struggled to pull the fabric down. Due to the water, it was clinging to me like a


    second skin.


    He began drawing slow circles on my skin, under my belly and I gasped in anticipation.


    My senses were tingling and my muscles were on fire. They all wanted just one thing-him.


    But he was suddenly being so slow.


    The thumb trailed over the edge of the fabric again before I made an irritated noise. I thought I heard a


    faint chuckle as his hand dipped down, all the way down and he brushed it over my entrance.


    ¡°Yes¡±


    I muttered and he kept stroking the sensitive skin, making me writhe in a blissful pain. But he was still


    hovering over the edges, never dipping inside.


    ¡°Do it!!¡±


    I said and Cahan replied, ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°You know what¡± I replied irritatedly and he pulled his hand away and turned me around.


    ¡°Ask me. Plead like you didst time¡± He demanded.


    Did he have some praise kink?


    ¡°Fuck you¡±


    I replied and instead of him getting angry I saw a slow smile appear on his face. I just did not know why


    he drove me so mad at times


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    We would be kissing and suddenly throwing curses at each other and go back to making out again.


    Did everybody do that? I had no idea.


    ¡°I know you want to¡± He answered and I realized it was the answer to my previous outburst.


    The sudden pain I had been feeling while twitching on the ground returned abruptly, making me lose


    my bnce. ¡°know you want it too¡± I replied, trying to fight the urge to just grab him and finish what we


    had started.


    ¡°But you are forgetting I own you. I can deny you


    and make you take care of yourself. Think again.¡±


    A wave of pure lust shot up from my core again and I felt my bones snap. Goddess, my wolf was


    making this so hard for me.


    I did not know what was her feeling and what was mine anymore as I answered, ¡°Please, sate my heat.


    I beg you.¡±


    Cahan smiled and in a second, he pulled me up again and I did not need his threat of making me


    drown in the water. to make me close my legs around his waist.


    His lips found mine again, but only for a brief second. They left my lips and began traveling down,


    towards my jawline.


    I shuddered at the touch as he left slowly, trailing kisses down my jaw, every kiss fanning the mes


    inside of me.


    Yes. This is what I wanted. This is what i needed.


    His lips don¡¯t just kiss me but his teeth softly bite into my skin as I moan and then his tongue snakes


    out, grazing that spot.


    I felt his touch and his lips on my skin even after he had traveled downward, each kiss smoky and fiery.


    His lips were kissing my shoulder de and I shivered delightedly. And then I was a goner when he


    slipped his thumb inside my panties.


    ¡°Aah¡±


    I moan and I hear him speak, ¡°You are a treat to touch and watch¡±


    What did that mean?


    I was just writhing in his arms, dangling through his waist as one of his hands held my head while the


    other kept stroking my


    entrance.


    And his lips had already begun traveling below my neckline. This was too much. How could he


    concentrate and make his body function?


    I was feeling so many emotions at a time that I did not know where to concentrate. I was just a puddle


    of heat while his hands and mouth were working independently, functioning perfectly fine.


    ¡°Please¡± I moaned as his lips reached down and brushed my cleavage. I was not a girl with big boobs


    but I had a small frame.


    However, I had seen a definite rise in my otherwise t chest ever since I began training. Ordinary girls


    would take months to see a change in their bodies but I guess my werewolf genes helped me achieve it


    faster.


    In response to my request, his thumb finally dipped inside and I let out an audible moan. And before I


    could entirely immerse myself in the feeling, he pulled it out quickly.


    Meanwhile, his lips opened up as his teeth bit into my flesh again. I winced a little but he again flicked


    his tongue out and licked the spot, making me tingle.


    How did he even know how to evoke such an emotion? Had he tried it on many girls before me?


    The thought made a hot wave of jealousy course through me.


    I could not bear the thought of him kissing someone else, of him wanting someone else.


    I only wanted those eyes to look at me in that way,


    By now, I was definitely grinding my hips on him and I felt the bulge in his pants grow even more


    pronounced.


    This. This was normal like he said and I tried to quell the tinge of shame that tried to take root in my


    brain again.


    And based on the way, he was acting, I felt he wanted this too. He wanted me.


    At this moment, it was just us both, wanting each other.


    s circling


    His thumb my clit, sending ripples of pleasure and pain up my spine. I was shaking, writhing while he


    was watching my reaction, and enjoying it.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He asked, bringing another hand up my face. This was pure torture.


    And I was willingly submitting to it.


    The thumb of his right hand began tracing the outline of my lips while his left thumb kept circling my


    entrance.


    ¡°Y-yes¡± I answered meekly.


    ¡°Louder, Zee¡± He spoke, and I heard the strain in his voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I repeated.


    And before I knew he plucked me off his waist, deposited me on the ground, mming my back against


    his broad chest, and dipped his thumb and his forefinger inside of me.


    ¡°Aaaaah,¡± I cried and he smirked, ¡°Now, that¡¯s the kind of loud I want¡±

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    Zenovia


    The water gently sshed when he put me down, sending cool waves in every direction. The moon


    was shining upon us and casting a warm glow on the water.


    It was surreal. This could not get any better.


    Cahan was taller than me so he pulled me back, making me stand on his feet to give me some


    height.


    And it was hard to keep standing on his feet or stay still, considering that we were in ake and he was


    doing delicious things


    to me.


    But I raised my hands as high as I could, trying to hold onto his shoulders as his fingers assaulted me.


    Each stroke was demanding, and raucous and filled me with pleasure.


    I was not sure if I was shivering due to the cold or his touch, but I knew I was making sounds I would


    never admit having left my mouth.


    I wish I would have worn something more sexy, something more daring than the simple cotton bra and


    panties but it was not as if Cahan paid attention to it.


    He had his head bent down and kissed my neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses down my earlobe.


    ¡°You are such a treat to watch¡± He murmured against my skin, his breath hot and wanting.


    This was the second time he said that.


    Surely that meant I did not look as bad in the simple clothes as I had imagined.


    My nails dug into his shoulders when he simply tore the flimsy fabric of my panties and ripped them off,


    pushing our legs wider to give him better reach.


    I was pulsing with need, throbbing with the desire to have him inside me. But I did not know if I could


    manage.


    Just his lips and hands were already making me go mad, I was not sure if I could survive his enormous


    shaft that was digging into my butt.


    Though my skin did prickle at the thought of himpletely entering me.


    And as if reading my thoughts, he pulled out his thumb and pushed his middle finger inside, all the way


    in.


    My nails dug into his shoulders as I braced for support while my core erupted in a mixture of pain and


    pleasure.


    ¡°Mmm¡±


    Another moan left my lips and I felt myself getting worked up. Tension was building inside of me, rising


    like a tidal wave that wanted to crash upon the shore.


    ¡°You make such sweet noises¡± He murmured and bit into my earlobe, his teeth grazing against my skin.


    And then the intensity of the strokes increased. He would pull out and I would shudder before his


    thumb and forefinger would part my folds and thrust inside.


    Every thrust evoked something primal inside of me. I did not know what I was doing or what I was


    supposed to do anymore. My entire focus was concentrated on the sweet spot that he was stroking and


    rubbing, making my muscles contract and expand.


    His lips continued to kiss my neck and my ear but I wanted more of him so I craned my neck as much


    as I could. Cahan smiled as he held my chin up with his hand and tilted my mouth up, bending down


    even more to lock our lips again.


    His tongue flicked my lips open and his teeth bit my lower lip all while his fingers were storking me.


    I was a hot, blithering mess and I felt slick heat pooling in between my thighs. I was shivering and once


    or twice I slipped down from his feet but he grabbed me by the waist and pulled my back again, never


    letting the kiss break.


    My heart was thundering wildly and I knew that he was definitely hearing it loud and clear. The water


    sloshed up and down our bodies, the sound like a symphony to my greedy ears.


    And asionally, I heard him grunt and moan as he dipped inside, and pulled back his fingers only to


    slip inside again.


    ¡°You are too tight, Zee,¡± He whispered his hot breath upon my mouth. His mouthwatering scent was all


    around me and he tasted just like I had imagined, hot and sweet.


    When I slipped again, he plucked me off his feet and put me up on his feet again. His arousal was


    straining against my butt and I was grinding my butt upon it subconsciously again.


    The pressure building inside of me was unbearable. My core was throbbing, pulsing with need.


    For a second, the doubt crept into my mind again, of what he would think of me when he saw how


    easily I was melting.


    And then without a warning, he plucked me off his feet and held me up in his arms, bridal style.


    I automatically linked my arms around his neck as his mouth found mine again. It was as if we could


    not stop touching each other and every second was of vital importance.


    I leaned forward as his hand squeezed my butt while he slowly carried us out of theke. And I noticed


    that he was fully clothed and I was just in my bra. It had gone transparent due to the water and my


    hardened peaks were easy for him to see.


    I did not even have time to hide them as he brought us out and then slowly put me down on the sand.


    I was soaking wet and still unsatisfied as he lowered me with my back lying on the sand as he got


    down on his knees too.


    I was going to ask why he suddenly brought us out but the way his eyes were staring at me with desire


    made me blush.


    The golden eyes were burning, scorching my skin with that heated gaze. And the soft breeze of the


    wind did nothing to quell the thirst inside of me.


    My question must have been apparent on my face as he looked at me, water trickling down his head.


    The tendrils of his hair curled near his temples and I reached for his face to touch him but he bent


    lower.


    ¡°You are ready and I could not let it go to waste,¡± He said darkly and lowered himself, positioning his


    face near my legs.


    ¡®Go what waste?¡¯ I was about to ask when I noticed the way he stared in between my legs, hungrily,


    My skin prickled with heat again as he ced his hands on my knees and slowly parted them.


    I thought he would take off his pants but instead, he spread my legs as wide as he could and brought


    his face near my


    entrance.


    He always seemed to be in control but here I saw the way his hands were stroking me but also trying to


    not use his inhuman lycan strength.


    I was a virgin andpletely inexperienced, he must have guessed it by now based on the way I


    moved and reacted.


    When I did not react, his lips opened and he bit on my folds making me squirm in pleasure.


    After that, I did not need much of a coaxing.


    This was just like thest time by theke. Or maybe even better.


    ¡°Come for me, Zee¡± He whispered and I shuddered at the way hemanded that, his voice both a


    caress and an order..


    My hands tried to grab onto something, anything but only brushed across bushes and grass. I dug my


    nails into the sand as his tongue flicked inside of me while his fingers pushed my folds apart.


    And my body was more than eager to submit to him, to listen to him.


    So


    my


    muscles tightened and I felt a steady pressure building inside of me. His tongue kept licking and


    stroking me, urging me to ride on the wave of euphoria.


    I trembled and broke into sweat despite the cool breeze around us.


    I twitched, my hands digging into the mud, scraping against small rocks and pebbles as Cahan¡¯s


    hand firmly held me in ce while his tongue and mouth kept devouring me.


    And then I finally shuddered, as Chan¡¯s tongue flicked against that sensitive spot. I gasped, my


    thighs feeling like they were made of lead before I went ck.


    The euphoria that had been threatening to engulf me smacked me in the face, leaving me feeling


    blissful.


    I let out a moan, big and loud as Cahan chuckled and kept suckling at me. He was true to his word.


    He did not let any of it go to waste. With all the juices flowing down my legs, he made it a point to lick


    every single drop of He did not let any of it go to waste. With all the juices flowing do


    1.


    Iy still or tried to, my legs shuddering at the touch but my muscles did not have the strength to move


    just after I had my release.


    I looked up at the sky, my breathing out in


    raspy


    The moon was shining in its full glory and it was pretty dark now. I tried to look around, to see if there


    was someone around, if someone had identally seen us but there was nobody except the moon and


    nature forpany.


    My head fell on the sand again, my body covered in the fine particles of dust as Cahan kept sucking


    at me.


    I heard the noises he made and blushed at the way he was behaving. Not that I would have wanted


    anybody else near me. Ever since I had seen him, I had felt a strange pull to him. He was my first kiss


    and I wanted him to be my first of everything.


    He was definitely the first man who had seen me naked, stripped me, and eaten my pussy as if he was


    the only one allowed to


    touch it.


    I felt a wave of heat rush up my heart as I saw his face buried inside my legs. After he was done, he


    straightened his back and looked at me.


    His golden orbs were shining in the night, desire and lust evident in them. Looking at me, he brought


    his tongue out and licked his lip in a sensual way when a bit of the juice escaped his lips all while


    maintaining eye contact.


    It was so sensual that I could not help but blush at that as he raked his hair.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    My gaze


    flitted back to the moon and the stars¡¯ reflection in the water.


    I thought we were done. I was definitely spent and the heat had ebbed a little.


    But it turned out that Cahan wasn¡¯t done. So he grabbed me by the waist and turned me around.


    I barely had time to push my hands in the sand when he brought his hand down and bit on my butt


    cheek, on the spot where he had marked me.


    He would always kiss the mark whenever he got the chance. It had be more of a ritual.


    Today was no different.


    I felt his teeth sink into my soft flesh, barely as he kissed the mark and licked the skin.


    His shadow was falling on my butt and though he had marked me a while ago, the skin on that spot still


    felt tender.


    But then he suddenly stopped when something caught his eye.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    Zenovia


    My skin and my heart cried at the loss of touch of his lips. It was as if he saw something rming and


    stopped abruptly.


    Only heavens knew how could he stop to inspect something in the middle of such a passionate make-


    out session but then there were plenty of things about him that surprised me.


    I was lying on the mud, face down when he suddenly grabbed my waist and pulled me up, all the way


    in hisp.


    I shivered and waited for his lips to start kissing the mark again but he did not. He just plucked me up


    from the ground and ced me on hisp, my bare butt almost in his face.


    When he did not move or make a sound, I tried to straighten and crane my neck to see what was going


    on, but there was a light p on my thigh, asking me to stay the way I was.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    So, I went down again, propping my chest up on the ground by cing my elbows¡¯ down for support.


    Slowly, Cahan¡¯s thumb reached up and caressed my mark and the touch sent a shiver of delight


    tingling up my spine.


    Yes, it was happening again. I could not wait.


    But he continued to brush his finger on the spot and murmured, ¡°It changed¡±


    Huh?


    What changed?


    The color of my skin? Or was my skin a bit saggy down there?


    I wondered for a brief minute but he repeated, ¡°It looks different¡±


    Dread filled my heart. Did the prolonged contact with water make my skin look wrinkled and saggy?


    I hope that didn¡¯t turn him off.


    ¡°The mark¡­ it has changed¡±


    Oh.


    -A wave of relief coursed through me.


    ¡°You never told me,¡± He said in an usatory tone.


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t really notice¡± I gave him a white lie. I did notice the change once but then given the hellish


    training he made me go through, I barely had time to sleep or eat.


    Often times I would just run to the shower, and be out of it in two minutes maximum.


    The hesitation in my voice did not go unnoticed and I was rewarded with a light p again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± He muttered and I stayed silent because I could not think of anything.


    ¡°What do you remember sudden interview session.


    fit? What did it look likest time you saw it?¡± He asked and Twas getting mildly annoyed at the


    Was he forgetting what we had been doing just a moment ago? Why did he have to be such a buzzkill?


    I let out a huff and answered, ¡°Uh, not sure. But I think I saw a moon and maybe a dagger. But it was


    quite a jumbled mess so I am not sure if I was imagining things.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s grip on my waist tightened as he pulled me near him, almost mming my butt in his face.


    He let out a hiss as his hands brushed on my thighs and he turned me around as if I weighed nothing.


    The abrupt move startled me but now I was face to face with him, sitting on hisp.


    My nipples had hardened and my eyes could see the fire raging in his eyes all over again. The veins in


    his hands were popping as if he was exercising immense self control.


    ¡°Do you feel something?¡±


    He asked and I blinked. I was feeling things¡­ loads of things.


    Iparted my lips to speak when his hands went in my hai my skin, and face and I could not understand


    what


    over my bare skin.


    But I felt heat prickle my skin wherever his gaze


    doin


    and he yanked my head back. His gaze roamed over every inch of


    as ift.


    ¡°I asked you something¡± He muttered and I tried to process my feelings.


    eyes were touching me, leaving fiery kisses as they roamed


    ¡°Ifeel¡­aroused¡± I admitted, cheeks ming red. Surely, he would not like it if I joked around so I stated


    the truth/


    But he was not pleased with the answer and the smirk that I hoped to see on his face did not return


    either.


    ¡°Your wolf¡­can you feel her?¡± He asked and it was as if everything snapped back into the cold, harsh


    reality.


    Had he been kissing me only because he wanted to help me find a wolf? Not because he wanted it?


    ¡°I¡­I¡± I stammered as tears stung the back of my eyes.


    Cahan let go of my hair and slowly pushed me away from hisp. He ran a hand through his hair, still


    looking at me, at my chapped lips and the way my skin looked red and puffy.


    His gaze lingered on my lips longer than usual but he looked away, reaching for the buttons of his shirt.


    And I tried to not bury myself in shame. Pulling my knees closer to myself, I put a hand around them


    and ced my head on it.


    I did not dare look up at Cahan as he was ying with the buttons of his shirt. But then he took his


    shirt off and held it in front of me.


    ¡°Maybe, we should go back home. It is alreadyte¡±


    He did not speak about my wolf or mention how he felt disappointed but I could feel it in his body


    language and his gaze.


    And I felt as if I should drown in theke for thest line I had said to him, that I was still aroused


    without any signs of my wolf.


    I silently reached for his shirt as he muttered, ¡°Your clothes are torn either way so no use getting/them


    back.¡±


    I did not say a word as I wore his shirt and got up from the ground. It was quiterge and reached my


    thighs but it was still wet and my hardened peaks were still visible from under the fabric.


    I folded my hands on my chest and began walking towards the car. I looked up at the moon and threw


    all pretending that the moon Goddess was listening to me.


    my


    doubts at it,


    ¡®Why would you make me suffer so much? Why would you not give me my wolf? What have I done to


    make you shun me


    like this?¡¯


    Question after question, all directed at the moon began churning in my mind. I was not sure if I was


    annoyed at the abrupt


    Cahan had stopped or if it was because I was still wolfless.


    way


    Granted, I had gotten my orgasm but then why did I feel so empty instead of blissful? And why did a


    small part of my was trying to make it seem as if the night was worthwhile if I got Cahan to devour


    me again?


    That had not been my motive. Well, at least not THE primary motive.


    brain


    Cahan started the car and I got in it without a word. The silence was deafening and neither of us


    made an effort to speak. Thoughts of how I should simply leave the werewolf world began to churn in


    my head again.


    My gaze wish.


    traveled to the sky and I saw a falling star and desperately wished for the moon Goddess to grant me


    my one true


    And then, it was as if a jolt of electricity surged through me.


    Before I knew it, I had pushed the door open and was crawling on the ground on all fours. Cahan had


    merely steered the car back to the road so the speed of the car hadn¡¯t been much.


    He quickly stepped away from the car and muttered, ¡°Zee, what is wrong?¡±


    But I was not in a condition to answer. A guttural cry tore through my lips and I jerked at the tension as


    if my body coiled and uncoiled rapidly.


    My nails dug into the ground, and I felt my body change shape. Fur began to sprout out of my skin and


    my muscles twisted and turned until I was not me anymore.


    I let out a cry of anguish again but my bones were snapping and twisting too fast for me to focus on


    one area of my body. My entire body was restlessly alive as I heard a voice in my head.


    ¡°Hello Zenovia¡±


    My joy knew no bounds when that voice spoke in my brain. It was a soft whisper, and for a second I


    wondered if I was hearing my mother. The voice was sweet but then the next second the voice


    muttered.


    ¡°You need to give me a name¡±


    What? I was undergoing hellish pain, how would I even have the capacity to talk, let alone think of a


    name?


    The voice spoke in an urgent whisper.


    ¡°I cannot fully transform and take over until you give me a name, Zenovia¡±


    Was that the case?


    I tried to fight the pain of my muscles tearing apart to give way for the fur to grow and my bones to


    elongate while thinking of a name.


    But my mind was nk.


    I looked around and all I saw was Cahan, a car, and darkness. Surely none of it would make a good


    name.


    Cahan went down on his knees and muttered, ¡°You can do it, Zee. You can transform.¡±


    ¡°Name. Give me a name¡± I groaned while writhing in the mud.


    ¡°Of what?¡± He asked and I would have rolled my eyes at him if they were already not trying to w out


    of my skin.


    ¡°My wolf¡­she¡­wants¡­.¡±


    He ran a hand through his hair, ¡°Uh, Zenovia. No, that¡¯s already yours. How about Rose?¡±


    So much for not being affected by what we had been doing¡­


    Before I could say anything, my wolf muttered in my head, ¡°Rose?! A freaking rose? What am I? A


    flower that he would want to deflowerter? Give me something majestic.¡±


    I could not believe my wolf had barely shown up and was already arguing with me. She was sassy.


    But I would marvel at her personalityter. Right now, I wed at the earth, digging out loose soil and


    roots of wild weeds while thinking of a name that would sound majestic enough to her.


    Up above, lightning crackled and I saw ck clouds start to appear in the sky.


    ¡°Thunder¡± Cahan mumbled while looking at the sky and suddenly my wolf let out a happy shriek.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it¡± She bellowed in my head.


    Huh? What?

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Zenovia


    ¡°Huh, what?¡± I muttered or tried to as I felt something or maybe everything shift inside of me instantly.


    There was fur all over my body and I grewrger. I was now on all fours and I felt too disoriented with


    the changes urring inside of me.


    The clouds above were crackling with thunder and I saw them all gather above us, hiding the stars and


    the moon.


    I felt an energy bubble inside of me, raw and carnal. I felt my bones elongate a bit more and snap in


    ce while my vision grew sharper.


    The information overload was too much to bear. I tried to shake my head and saw a long snout in front


    of me. I had four paws now, strong and lethal.


    And when I opened my mouth, a loud, deafening growl left my lungs.


    It was as if I was reborn again. Reborn as Thunder, my wolf.


    Words failed me to describe the feeling I was going through. It was exhrating, and liberating.


    I lowered my head and tried to get a good understanding of the surroundings around me. My head


    snapped to the right when I heard a faint rustling of leaves.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I peered at the thick foliage of leaves, high up in one of the trees a few feet away from me, and noticed


    a bird sitting on it.


    My gaze focused on it and even from this distance, I could see its varying colors of feathers-ck,


    blue, and purple.


    Its feathers glinted when it rustled in the wind and took off. The wind was blowing softly, just like the


    waterpping at us in theke.


    ¡°Zenovia¡± I heard Cahan call out my name cautiously.


    My head flicked to his face and it was as if I saw him with a new rity. Every sharp feature of his stood


    out to me much more prominently.


    I saw the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled at me, the fine lines disappearing in the sides and the


    light stubble dusted on his jawline though he was a few feet away from m¨¨.


    But the most prominent feature of his was his eyes. I could see a thousand shades of golden and


    honey, each and every speck highlighted in those orbs. They literally looked like liquid gold mixed with


    honey.


    ¡°Aww, you can¡¯t stop staring at him with those puppy eyes, can you?¡± My wolf, Thunder, spoke to me in


    my head.


    ¡°I thought it was you who was staring at him¡± I teased and she blinked in surprise.


    Cahan was sitting on his knees and tried reaching for us, for me. Thunder did not want to budge at


    first.


    He saw the way Thunder was hesitating and looked us in the eye. A warm, weing smile appeared


    on his lips.


    ¡°Wee to this world and wee to my pack. Though there are not other members here but know


    that every member of my pack is valued and treasured. You would feel no different¡±


    He said, tipping his head a little.


    Did he just bow to us? Well, it was not a proper bow but he did lower his head ever so slightly.


    Thunder had been staring at him smugly but then I nudged her, ¡°He is the Lycan King, and as he said


    we are a member of his pack. Don¡¯t be so rude.¡±


    Thunder rolled her eyes at me and repeated, ¡°Are you saying that just because he is handsome? He


    definitely is a looker. And bare chested¡­mmmm¡±


    ¡°Thunder!!¡± I warned her as she teased me.


    Looking at him through her eyes was certainly rewarding. His torso was nothing short of a work of art.


    Every muscle rippled with strength whenever he moved and a hard six pack donned his abdomen.


    If seeing him with my human eyes was a treat, seeing him through Thunder¡¯s eyes was nothing short of


    a true delight.


    The way his hands moved and the way his hair flitted in the soft breeze, everything about him was


    picture perfect.


    I tried not to sigh at that beauty of a man and nudged Thunder again, ¡°He is waiting. He is our King,


    Thunder. Show some respect!¡±


    She gave me a smug look and slowly stepped forward, letting her heade close to Cahan¡¯s


    outstretched hand.


    He slowly and carefully brushed his hand over the fur and I felt a bolt of electricity jostle me. His touch


    was gentle but due to Thunder¡¯s heightened perception, I felt his skin caress not the fur but my very


    soul.


    Goddess, why was I so attracted to this man?


    Thunder slowly nuzzled against his chest and he ruffled through her fur, patting her head lightly.


    And I was not mistaken that she would like it when he stroked her fur. I felt her melt at the touch and


    push her head on his chest, demanding more pats.


    Cahan chuckled and scratched her fur a bit more making her whimper.


    ¡°Mmm¡­right there¡± She spoke in my head as he rubbed her head and I tried not to chuckle. She had


    been all smug and mighty just a moment ago and now she was being just a regr wolf.


    Thunder then opened her maw and began licking Cahan who closed his eyes and kept smiling.


    ¡°Thunder, what are you doing?¡± I said to her, worried that Cahan would find her too clingy. But he did


    not seem to mind. He ran his hands through her thick fur and muttered,


    ¡°You are a beautiful wolf. Zenovia is lucky to have you¡±


    Thunder let out a low sound that sounded something like a cross between a moan and a growl.¡¢


    I wished to see Thunder too. I had met her but had no idea what my wolf looked like.


    So Cahan got up from the ground and began walking, ¡°Come with me¡±


    He said and Thunder did not take even a moment to fall in step beside him.


    All the time, she kept grazing her muzzle against him and she was purring as if she had never seen a


    man before.


    Well, technically she hadn¡¯t so I really could not find fault with her behavior.


    The dark clouds thundered asionally but it did not rain like I thought it would. They only crackled


    with a loud sound and lightning that shone through the dark clouds every now and then but it did not


    rain except for a few drops.


    Not that I had an issue with that. I had already experienced a sensory overload with the transformation


    and I was not sure if I was ready to run in the rain. I feared I would slip and make a fool of myself in


    front of Cahan.


    We reached the edge of theke and he looked for a boulder nearby and pointed at it.


    ¡°Hop on it to get a better look¡±


    Thunder let out a sound of approval and climbed up the boulder. And we both saw the reflection in the


    water.


    Thunder truly looked majestic. Her dark brown fur almost seemed ck in the night as it rippled due to


    the wind..


    ¡°You are beautiful, Thunder¡± I mumbled in her head and she looked up at the sky to see the moon


    shining amidst the stars and let out a howl.


    Cahan chuckled again as she climbed down the boulder and nudged at him, rubbing her head upon


    his knee.


    ¡°What is it, girl?¡± Cahan asked, she looked at the forest in front of her and then straight into


    Cahan¡¯s eyes.


    He got the message.


    ¡°Oh, you want to race?¡±


    She grunted and Cahan asked, ¡°Are you sure? This is your first transformation. I don¡¯t want to wear


    you down and-¡±


    But before he couldplete the sentence, Thunder took off.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair!¡± I heard him grumble and Thunder giggled in my head.


    ¡°You are forgetting he is our alpha and King¡± I reminded her and she purred, ¡°Ohe on, I was


    confined for so long. Let me have some fun.¡±


    I could only shake my head. My wolf had the exact opposite personality of me.


    She was sassy, bold, and spoke without thinking while I was more of a timid, shy girl.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make us a great team?¡± She asked with a grin and the sound of footsteps beside us


    made us look to the left.


    Cahan was running with us, in his human form.


    Thunder wanted to challenge him and shot off, increasing her speed a lot but Cahan had no problem


    catching up. She did not like that he could still match her despite still being in his human form so she


    ran hard, much harder than she


    should.


    And I began to feel the pain in her joints. I had recently shifted and all the training Cahan had given


    me on how it would be good to have my bone strength when my wolf would get tired came rushing


    back to me.


    Thunder was soon panting and I felt her leaning on me, trying to borrow strength from me. And no


    amount of training would have prepared me for this- the real deal.


    ¡°Thunder, it is alright. We should go back home¡± Cahan said while slowing down, hoping that she


    would too, but Thunder did not want to listen.


    ¡°Thunder, please. We can run againter. I promise I will let you out soon¡± I insisted but her eyes were


    fixated on a huge tree with a densework of roots.


    A particrly thick root had twisted and turned, rising up a few feet. I.could sense what she was about


    to do and shrieked, ¡°No, Thunder. Listen to me¡±


    I said or tried to, but she shook her head, let out a grunt, and jumped up as we reached the root


    system.


    Thunder jumped up in the air, aiming to pluck,off a fruit hanging down a branch a few meters above the


    root by using the thick root as a stepping stone.


    But she miscalcted and her back right foot got stuck in the small gap between the roots and I felt her


    body or mine m upon the root, hard.


    She let out a whimper and would have fallen to the ground and hurt herself even more but fortunately,


    Cahan simply caught her in his hands.


    Thunder let out a pained whimper as Cahan shook his head.


    ¡°I forgot newly turned wolves are a little childish¡±


    She made a disgruntled sound of denial but she did not have much energy to go on. I was beginning


    to, feel the weight of her pain and bones too as she began to borrow more strength from me than I


    could provide at that moment.


    Cahan looked into Thunder¡¯s eyes and spoke, ¡°Zee, I think it is time you shift back¡±


    I was thinking the same thing but Thunder did not agree. She still wanted to be in the open ground and


    y around some more but she was losing stamina quickly.


    ¡°Thunder, it was a delight to meet you. But now, I really need you to give me control.¡±


    Thunder muttered, ¡°Whatever¡± and the next instant I felt a thousand needles stinging me from all the


    sides as I felt my bones snap and my muscles go taut and rigid again.


    In the next minute, I had shifted back to my human form. There was only one problem though- I was


    lying stark naked yet again in Cahan¡¯s embrace.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    Zenovia


    For a worried second, I wondered if Thunder had irked him and if he would


    my wolf, but he did not say a thing.


    me for not having better control of


    In fact, he did not even look at me. Cahan continued walking back towards the car and reached it in


    a few seconds.


    And I felt my cheeks me and my skin tingle at the way his fingers casually rested on the underside of


    my breast and my thighs.


    Not that he was trying to touch me or anything, he was just carrying me, knowing very well that the


    transformation had seeped out the remaining energy from me.


    My gaze went to the sky, and I noticed that the moon was slowly disappearing behind the horizon. It


    was quitete in the night, or maybe early in the morning.


    But it was not too dark anymore. And I felt my cheeks me red. At least in the darkness, I could hide


    my face and not let him see my emotions. But in the absence of it, I only wondered how it would be to


    face him again in broad daylight.


    I was finally happy to have found Thunder and awakened my wolf. I was not wolfless anymore. I only


    looked up at the sky and thanked the moon Goddess for granting me with my wolf.


    Though, I still had to learn to get along with her and transform without going through hellish pain or


    doing strenuous activities like running or maybe even fighting in the future without feeling like passing


    out.


    But for now, I nuzzled against Cahan¡¯s bare chest, inhaling his scent that went straight to my head.


    Despite running with Thunder, he had not broken in sweat, neither did he look tired after¡­well after


    sating my heat and allowing the transformation to take effect.


    Iwas not sure if I should thank him for helping me or ask forgiveness for my wolf¡¯s attitude. While I was


    wondering about all this, Cahan brought us near the car.


    He gently opened the door with one hand and ced me on the seat. His fingers brushed my chest


    identally, and I tried my best to not shiver at the pleasure it sent down my spine.


    His face was close, too close to me. He only looked at my face for a brief second to see if I was okay


    and then closed the door while getting into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°We have one problem,¡± Cahan said after steering the car in the direction of the road and leaving the


    muddy, slightly twistingnes of thenes that led to theke.


    I only looked at him, and he replied without looking at me. ¡°I usually have extra clothes around but my


    shirt is torn and so is your dress¡±


    I had been sitting with my legs crossed over each other and I let my hair fall on my chest to cover my


    chest.


    I looked around to see if I could see something to cover myself, but there was nothing.


    Not to mention that my muscles and brain were still reeling from the exhaustion of the transformation,


    plus everything else he did to me.


    Or rather, what he did NOT do to me. Some part of me had been craving for more of him, but he


    stopped abruptly after seeing my mark..


    He mumbled something about the mark changing shape, but I felt like it was just that he did not feel the


    need to go any further.


    I tried to focus my thoughts on the fact that I had finally found my wolf instead of his abrupt change of


    action.


    Plus, he had not been rude to Thunder, though she was yful and a bit wild. So I just let my thoughts


    wander towards Thunder and now how to be even stronger. It was truly exhrating to have found my


    wolf.


    Thad always seen people talk about awakening their wolves and how it was a life-changing experience.


    Now, I was no longer just a human and wolfless girl.


    Though the circumstances revolving around my awakening of the wolf were odd, I tried not to dwell on


    the worries.


    The soft breeze flowing in through the open window gently caressed my face and began lulling me to


    sleep.


    I felt my eyelids grow heavy as Cahan drove the car toward the gate of the mansion. By the time we


    reached it, the sky was much brighter, and the darkness was gone, just like my worries.


    The guards promptly opened the gate and Cahan drove the car inside the garage. Since it was quite


    early in the morning, not many were around.


    The car drive back home had been silent, but I did not even notice it as I was too happy to have found


    Thunder.


    Cahan turned the ignition off and got out of the car. He was just in his pants and had no qualms


    about walking out half-naked.


    Not that anybody would question him. His hair was still a little wet and messy and in the morning light, I


    could see his muscles and six pack quite clearly.


    But I tore my gaze away from that sight and looked around. I had to find something to cover myself in.


    Cahan had almost made it to the door when he realized I had still not moved.


    ¡°Are you going to sit there the entire time?¡± He asked, turning around to look at me.


    I tried not to sound irritated as I muttered, ¡°I¡­need clothes.¡±


    He leaned on a pir beside him and muttered, ¡°Well, they are upstairs¡­in your room. You can go up


    and get them.¡±


    I found that smirk returning to his face.


    ¡°I know that,¡± I mumbled, mostly to myself, but his ears twitched, telling me that he had heard me.


    That smirk turned even wider.


    ¡°Can you please give me something to cover myself up?¡± I asked, but he did not budge, so I hastily


    added, ¡°¡­your Majesty¡±


    That smirk turned into a grin as he turned around and left without a word.


    Wait.


    Had he just left me sitting there? I waited for a minute or two and even craned my ears to pick up the


    sound of his footsteps, but I could not hear a thing.


    Maybe my wolf hadpletely exhausted herself.


    Looking for the nearest exit and a way to slowly tiptoe over the stairs towards my room, I got out of the


    car.


    My back was turned towards the huge gate he had walked out of because I saw a small door that


    would lead up the stairs and thought of going up through it.


    And I didn¡¯t notice that a wall had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. A wall of muscle, right behind my


    back.


    ¡°Ouch¡± I smacked myself on Cahan¡¯s chest and he grabbed my arm to stop me from falling, turning


    me around in one smooth move.


    He was holding a shirt in the other hand, his shirt to be specific.


    ¡°You can never sit still for a minute, can you? You always have to be restless,¡± He said and my eyes


    flicked to the shirt he was holding up, a bit away from my reach.


    ¡°Oh really? You left me sitting all alone,¡± I said and jumped up to reach for it, but he shook his head and


    held it a little higher. ¡°Miss Zenovia. Let me remind you of one thing. I am the Lycan King and you are


    my pack member. You better learn how to behave¡±


    I tried not to roll my eyes and muttered, ¡°Your excellency, the supremely talented and handsome Lycan


    King, will you please do the favor of giving this poor pack member some piece of clothing to reach her


    room while retaining her modesty?¡±


    Cahan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Your wolf is already making your tongue roll¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He noticed the way I was speaking to him. Maybe having found my wolf made me a bit bolder.


    He lowered his hand when I did not speak a word, and I hastily put on the shirt. It was navy blue and


    again reached my thighs, so it did a good job of covering me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and began walking towards the small door, but then I heard his voice. ¡°Tame your


    wolf before she starts dominating you¡±


    I only gave him a thumbs up before slinking up the route and quickly moving up the stairs to reach my


    room,

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Zenovia


    Cahan¡¯s shirt smelled divine. It still had his lingering scent, and I could still recall the way he had


    raked his my body when I was with him.


    There was a definite joy in my bodynguage as I climbed up the stairs, happily humming a tune to


    myself.


    I had reached the floor when I heard a voice.


    ¡°Oh, you are back. I was wondering where you¡¯were. I was looking for you¡­.¡±


    eyes


    all over


    I turned around to see Cynthia standing in front of me. She was wearing a long pencil skirt and red shirt


    and had a pen in one hand while a file in another.


    She looked at me, and the smile almost disappeared from her face.


    ¡°Oh, hi there,¡± She said, and I waved at her, not wanting to talk.


    1


    ¡°Did you see the Lycan King?¡± She asked, while returning her attention back to the file. But then she


    abruptly looked at me again, as if noticing me for the first time.


    Or the thing I was wearing. I believe she thought I was just wearing some oversized, baggy shirt or


    something, but then she peered intently at it.


    ¡°Yes, he just went to his room to freshen up maybe,¡± I answered her sweetly.


    ¡°Freshen up?¡± She asked and I could not help but feel smug about the way she raised an eyebrow. Her


    facial expressions changed so much that I could easily guess how she was trying to connect the dots.


    I wished I had some mind reading power to look into her brain and see all her worries and insecurities


    laid bare.


    I wished I could gloat about how Cahan had spent the night with me, kissing me and wanting me


    when she kept throwing herself at him and he never touched her.


    ¡°Yeah, the night was quite tiring,¡± I added with a smile, and I loved the way the color drained from her


    face.


    She tried to keep a straight face, but I saw the way her fingers dug into the file, almost wanting to tear it


    out.


    I would have loved tormenting her some more, but then a voice called out from behind me.


    ¡°Zee, where have you been?¡±


    I turned around to see Elijah smiling at me. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and a tired face.


    I smiled brightly at him and dashed down the stairs.


    ¡°I should be asking you that question,¡± I said, and he pulled me into a hug effortlessly.


    Elijah¡¯s presence was warm and inviting, and whenever I saw him, he always made


    my


    worries fade away.


    It was as if he carried his own sun everywhere, brightening everybody¡¯s day just by showing up.


    Elijah pulled me into a hug and smiled radiantly at me.


    ¡°Pack duty first, Miss Zenovia. Everything elseester,¡± He murmured as I stayed in his embrace.


    It felt nice to have him around again.


    ¡°Wait, why are you even awake at this hour? Your training starts in 2 hours or so, right?¡±


    He looked at me with furrowed eyebrows, and I shed him an excited smile.


    ¡°Yesterday was a full moon, El,¡± I said, and he kept looking at me in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah, so?¡± He asked, and I kept grinning at him.


    If there was one true friend, I wanted to share my joy with, it was definitely him.


    His eyes went wide, and he stared at me with surprise.


    ¡°Oh, iny goddess, Zen. Did you really?¡±


    I nodded my head frantically and he let out a bigugh and even whooped in the air.


    I beganughing too and jumped up and down with him. He grabbed me by the shoulders and turned


    us around in a circle.


    ¡°That is so great, Zen. I knew it. I knew you could do it¡±


    I let his infectious joy affect me and we both started dancing like idiots on the floor. Hearing the


    commotion, a few servants came to the hall to see what the fuss was about.


    pter 99


    dropped the bag and scooped me up in his arms as he told everybody, ¡°Our little princess is no longer


    a wolfless girl. She awakened her wolf.¡±


    Soon, everybody started cheering and pping while Elijah turned us both around in a slow circle.


    And I truly felt happy to see the tinge of respect in everybody¡¯s eyes.


    Being just a human in the world of werewolves was not something to be proud of. Though nobody


    dared scorn me because I had been taken in by the Lycan King himself, I knew how everybody treated


    wolfless people.


    Being wolfless was even worse than being an omega who some alpha would take in as her mistress to


    provide him with pups. Humans would mostly be hunted or killed.


    ¡±


    It was barbaric, but that was a way to weed out the weak links from the pack..


    I had only been safe earlier because my father, as much as he despised me, had not thrown me out of


    the pack.


    I was reduced to a ve but he did not abandon me or sell me off¡­well¡­until Celeste showed up and


    filled his mind with her poison.


    A small part of me would have loved to run towards my father and proudly tell him that I found my wolf


    and see him smile at me with proud tears in his eyes.


    My mother would stand happily beside him and pull me into a hug.


    ¡°Hey, where are you lost?¡± Elijah¡¯s soft voice brought me out of my reverie.


    I had my hands ced on his shoulders and looked down at him.


    ¡°N-nothing¡±


    I said and shook my head. And then another voice boomed through therge hall.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    I looked up to see Cahan appear on the first floor, just beside Cynthia. He had showered and


    changed and was wiping his hair with a towel.


    Apparently, Cynthia had never left and was watching what was going on with keen interest.


    I saw Cahan¡¯s gaze fall on Elijah and the way he was holding me up. Cahan was quite far from


    me, but I could clearly recall the way he had held me up a few hours ago, just like this.


    Elijah was simply cheering me up and doing nothing else, but the way Cahan stared at us made me


    think as if we had been doing something scandalous.


    The servants quickly returned to their work of seeing Cahan before hastily bowing to him. Meanwhile,


    Elijah lowered me and stepped aside to maintain some distance from me.


    ¡°Uh, nothing King. I just heard an exciting piece of news. Our newest pack member is no longer


    wolfless. That¡¯s nice, right? Elijah answered before bowing to Cahan politely.


    ¡°Yes, so nice,¡± Cahan answered while ring at me.


    Cynthia took the opportunity to tear her gaze away from us and look at Cahan. She gave him a bright


    smile and stood near him, almost pushing herself upon him.


    ¡°I was waiting for you in the office. I did not know you were in your room.¡± She batted her eyshes,


    but he only continued to wipe his head.


    ¡°The meeting of the alphas went quite well. I made a few changes to the uses and have brought the


    final draft for you to go through.¡±


    Cahan took the file from her and she pointed her pen at the page she wanted him to read through.


    I only smiled at Elijah and whispered a thanks to him. He had given me a small celebration, like my


    mother would have if she were alive.


    Elijah put a hand to his heart and whispered, ¡°My pleasure¡±


    ¡°Why is he suddenly so cranky?¡± I asked Elijah while sneakily pointing at the first floor. Cahan was


    turning the pages so r¨¤shly that he might as well tear them off along with the entire file.


    ¡°No idea. Alphas always annoy him with their odd requests¡±


    Elijah wildly shook his head and asked me to stay put while answering me.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But I was not convinced. Maybe seeing Cynthia¡¯s face made him lose his good mood.


    That could probably be a very strong reason.


    I thought to myself and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    From above the first floor, a loud, snapping voice resounded. I looked up to see Cahan shut the file


    and look at me evenly.


    ¡°What is so funny about it?¡±


    He asked, and I hastily lowered my head.


    ¡°N-nothing, King. She is just happy aboutst night,¡± Elijah answered on my behalf, and Cahan


    scoffed while leaning on the guardrail.


    ¡°Of course she is,¡± he said, and I looked up to see that damn smirk return on his face. His gaze


    challenged me to counter his words. I tried to quash the shiver that ran up, my spine on hearing the


    way he said that line.


    How could he look so annoying yet captivating at the same time?


    ¡°You see, the shirt she is wearing, that¡¯s mine,¡± He added and closed the file he was reading, leaving


    me staring at him wide-eyed.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Zenovia


    For a moment nobody said a word. Everybody¡¯s eyes returned to me and I was d that the shirt was


    big enough for me to not feel as if I was walking around naked.


    Cahan¡¯s words made a delicious shiver run up my spine with the way he said it. His gaze flitted to me


    as if daring me to rebuke his ims.


    But I was too busy fighting the emotions swirling inside of me. I could still feel his hands on me and that


    heated gaze when he had kissed me.


    I slowly turned to Elijah who blinked and then replied, ¡°Oh yes, King. d that you were around for her


    shifting.¡±


    I looked down at the floor when I could not keep looking at those golden eyes anymore. But Elijah


    seemed oblivious to our wordless talk.


    ¡°Now you can train faster and soon you can outrun me in a race.


    Elijah cheered me up as Cynthia suddenly jumped in the conversation.


    ¡°Oh, that is great. She awakened her wolf. Now, I don¡¯t have to hold back while training with her.¡±


    I looked up to see her smiling at me, all too sweetly.


    Why was she butting in again? This was my moment of happiness and I did not want to even think


    about being with her to


    train.


    I ignored her line and spoke to Elijah instead, ¡°Yes, now that you are back we can race with each


    other.¡±


    Elijah let the bag slide down his shoulder and ced it on the couch. He then loosened his muscles as


    he went to sit down on the couch as well.


    ¡°Not right away. Let me eat something and get a shower first.¡±


    I smiled at him and folded my hands upon my chest, ¡°Why? Are you afraid of me?¡±


    Elijah grinned at me and I saw his eyes dance in excitement. ¡°Ooh, the kitty got ws.¡±


    Iughed and replied, ¡°you can rest for today if you want. I am in no hurry to defeat you.¡±


    From the corner of my eyes, I saw that Cahan had left with his file though Cynthia was still standing


    there, staring at me and Elijah.


    Apparently, she was not happy with the way Ipletely ignored her remark.


    ¡°Hey El, you got the report from the west?¡± Cynthia suddenly asked and Elijah looked up at her.


    ¡°Yup I did. I don¡¯t fail at my tasks usually¡± He said cheekily and she smiled, ¡°Very well. I just recalled


    that we had to see the report to discuss the treaties with Cal before he signed the papers?


    Elijah nodded, ¡°Sure. I will just freshen up and join you guys in a while¡±


    ¡°Great. And then you tell me all about your adventures¡± She added in a friendly tone and he nodded,


    ¡°I¡¯ll bore you to death¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Cynthiaughed and left for Cahan¡¯s office while I too said, ¡°It is so good to have you back. I will go


    freshen up too


    I heard Elijah¡¯s grunts as he cracked his knuckles in satisfaction and got up from the couch.


    ¡°Yeah. I will try to leave the meeting quickly and join you for breakfast or lunch. Then you tell me all


    about your first shift. And mind you, you are not leaving any detail out¡±


    He added, poking a finger at me and I tried to smile. Elijah walked away after ruffling my hair and I


    wondered if I was ready to tell him everything.


    I could not tell him how his King sucked me dry and made mee by theke or the way his lips


    devoured me, leaving me breathless and wanting for more.


    Nope, definitely not.


    had to get a grip on myself. So I took leave of Elijah and went up the stairs to freshen up as well.


    Thankfully, nobody made a fuss of seeing me wearing Cahan¡¯s shirt. In fact, nobody had even


    noticed it until he pointed


    out.


    That only meant it wasmon for first time shifters to be guided or apanied by someone senior


    and be offered


    clothing after they shift back to their human form.


    Not that they would have faced as many difficulties as me to awaken their wolves. I tried to forget


    Cynthia¡¯s gaze as she stared daggers at me and I stepped into my room.


    I was so tired and my bones hurt but I was also happy that I had finally found my wolf. And with Elijah


    around, it would be easy for me to tame her and not always faint upon shifting.


    That put a smile on my face as I went into the bathroom and took Cahan¡¯s shirt off. His scent was


    lingering all over me and a small part of me almost did not want to let go of it.


    But I had to clean myself. Only now did I notice that my nails were chipped and covered in dirt. My hair


    looked all frizzy and tangled too.


    Gosh, I had been roaming around like this in front of everyone without a care of how I looked. I stepped


    in front of the mirror and noticed something else.


    My skin was bruised and a little red. And there were marks¡­.bite marks.


    Most of them were over my thighs and around my corbone and I was d to have worn the shirt that


    covered everything. My hands brushed over those marks and heat red up inside of me again. I had


    not even noticed them while he was roaming his mouth all over me.


    I turned around to see the mark that he had fussed about. And I noticed that it had changed again.


    At first, it had resembled a dagger and a moon but now I was not sure what to make of it.


    The mark had traveled down a little and now reached my thigh with swirling lines, some thick, some


    fine like a strand of


    hair.


    But most of it was unidentifiable to me. A small voice in my head, Thunder¡¯s to be precise spoke,


    ¡°At least he was not lying about it then¡±


    I jumped and almost let out a shriek. It would take some time getting used to hearing another voice in


    my head.


    ¡°I thought you wanted to rest¡± I replied while grabbing a bottle of shower gel.


    ¡°Who says you cannot talk while resting?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I also did not know you were there when¡­we were¡­ when I was¡­ I trailed off and she chuckled.


    ¡°I was trying to break free for a long time. I just could not. But I was definitely there¡± Thunder responded


    and I heard the tiredness in her voice.


    I had used the shower gel before too but its smell was suddenly too overwhelming for me. I merely took


    a drop of it on my hand but it made me sneeze thrice.


    I quickly washed my hands and put it back while wiping my hands on the towel. Suddenly, I felt I was


    being bombarded by thick and heavy floral scents that made me feel dizzy.


    I stepped away from the shower and gripped the edge of the basin while shaking my head.


    ¡°You will learn to mute everything in some time. Try to not focus on them. Your senses will adjust and


    adapt soon¡±


    Thunder spoke like a wise saint but I felt her low voice echoing in my head like wardrums.


    ¡°Are you always going to jump out and startle me when I expect it the least?¡± I asked, wondering how


    to NOT focus on the scents that were overwhelming me.


    Thunder snorted, ¡°As I said, you better get used to it¡±


    I mentally rolled my eyes and washed my face. I had to learn what she suggested so I tried increasing


    the temperature of the water a little and stepped into the shower again.


    The warm water felt scalding hot to me so I yed with the shower knob for a while before finding the


    perfect temperature forme.


    I let myself soak in the warmth while looking through the bottles in vain before finding a basic soap


    instead of all the scented shower gels. And I decided to look for something that had the least


    aggravating scent. Or it was just because of my wolf that my senses were in overdrive.


    The soap had a faint scent and it did not make me sneeze repeatedly so I beganthering myself up


    and scrubbing to get rid


    of the dirt and mud.


    After ensuring that the shower water flowing down my body was not muddy and brownish in color but


    transparent, I picked


    the towel and wrapped it around myself.


    A beep sound made me look at my phone that was lying on the b


    There was a message waiting for me.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Zenovia


    I went near the phone and took it in my hand. It was from an unknown number.


    Biting my lower lip nervously, I clicked on the message.


    -Baby girl, don¡¯t you miss me?-


    Sid.


    I had totally forgotten about him. He had said that he would contact meter, but I had been so caught


    up with training and my shifting that I did not even think of him for a moment.


    Even when I thought of my father and mom, his thoughts never popped up in my head.


    My initial reaction to that message was being afraid and nervous as I read through the message a few


    times. But then I told myself I did not have to¡­not anymore.


    I was not a wolfless omega that he could toy with. Not that he had any business knowing I had


    awakened my wolf.


    In fact, it would be perfect for me to enact my n of exposing his mother through him.


    I thought about it for a while and typed a message.


    -Not really-


    I had barely ced the phone on the bed and turned around when another beep sound reached me.


    -Come on, I know you did. I just thought of messaging you when Alpha Drake mentioned you today. I


    am sorry and miss you-


    My fingers froze on the screen when I read that. Alpha Drake¡­my father¡­he mentioned me?


    He still thought of me?


    I had missed him like hell when I awakened my wolf and was dying to tell that to him. He had been my


    biggest motivator, along with Mom before our life went downhill.


    Did he really care about me? Was he regretting selling me to Cahan?


    Various doubts shed through my mind. Each added more confusion to my already bewildered brain.


    I was also not sure if Sid was simply making up stories to make me talk to him. But then I had to know


    what was going on in the pack, in my home.


    So I typed a message and hit the send button.


    -I hope everything is well-


    I wanted to know if Luna Celeste was not simply looting from the pack treasury and allowing the other


    members with enough funds.


    His reply came in shortly.


    -Alpha Drake is just a little tense. The new changes in the treaty are taking away most of the rights and


    freedom from Alphas-


    I furrowed my eyebrows and hastily typed -I don¡¯t understand-


    -Wait, let me call you-


    My eyes went wide. Messaging him was okay. But I was in no mood to talk to him. And what if anybody


    heard me talking to him?


    The phone began to ring not even a secondter, but I quickly put it on silent mode and dashed to the


    doors and windows to ensure they were well shut.


    Then I grabbed the phone and went inside the bathroom and received the call, careful to keep my voice


    low.


    ¡°Hey baby girl, how are you?¡±


    ¡°What happened to dad?¡± I went straight to the point.


    If he was unhappy with myck of interest in answering his earlier question, he did not show,


    ¡°Your Cahan¡­.he is making the policies stricter and tightening his grip over pack affairs. People are


    not happy with the way he is managing things.¡±


    My Chan?


    I ignored that too and asked, ¡°How is it affecting Dad?¡±


    Sid answered, ¡°Our pack is not that well-known. If you noticed, Alpha Drake and a few others were not


    even invited to the pack meetings recently. He fears he is losing credibility amongst the other alphas


    that Cahan favors. It will be bad for our pack if we lose out on our reputation. Nobody would want to


    do business with us in the long run.¡±


    I wondered about it. I knew little of pack affairs, but I recall that Cahan did not have a favorable


    impression of my dad when he first came to visit us.


    He was upset about the rogue menace already and Luna Celeste cooked up a story of my betrayal to


    save herself.


    Of course, they never found out who my so called boyfriend was, but I guess Celeste or my pack were


    never in the spotlight to warrant Cahan¡¯s attention.


    He simply left after a short chat and never set foot in my pack territory again. There were other alphas


    and packs that were more important and made a name for themselves by providing him with more


    information and reports.


    I also faintly recalled Elijah saying he had gone to the west to get the report. Had he visited my pack


    too?


    I had to find out the report and see what it contained. I knew Luna Celeste had been requesting loads


    of funds but must have splurged it instead of putting it to good use. And my father would suffer for her


    mistake.


    My father got swayed by her words, but he was definitely not a scammer. His records and papers


    would always be clean, but


    now I was not sure.


    I was lost in thought, but Sid¡¯s voice brought me to the present.


    not


    call


    ¡°But I did


    you to tell you that. Are you still upset with me? I am willing to apologize again. I am sorry for


    everything, baby girl.¡±


    I did not know what to say to that. My thoughts were more upied with my father than Sid¡¯sme


    attempts to pacify me.


    ¡°Would you not be upset if I tried to drug you and force myself upon you?¡±


    asked, and surprisingly, Sid fell silent for a while.


    ¡°I understand I wronged you, baby girl. I just was not thinking straight. And that is why I am apologizing


    to you over and over again. I miss you.¡±


    He said, but I did not have it in my heart to outright yell at him. I needed more information from him.


    ¡°Look Sid, I am not your ¡®baby girl¡¯. I am just¡­ your stepsister. And I hope you help Dad rebuild our


    pack and its image instead of fooling around.¡±


    Sid looked a little hurt by my words, but I felt nice to finally ask him to stop calling me ¡®baby girl. It irked


    me to hear him say that.


    ¡°I¡­I liked you, Zenovia. I still do. But if you don¡¯t like me, that is okay. I was just missing you.¡±


    ¡°You said Dad was not invited to the meetings with the Lycan King, right?¡±


    Sid replied, ¡°He wasn¡¯t.¡±


    I did notment on his earlier line and even he didn¡¯t probe me further about it. Earlier, I had been


    too weak to state my thoughts right away, but now, with Thunder, I could feel some of her confidence


    seeping into my bones.


    ¡°Hmm, well, it only means that you have to pay more attention to the pack matters and administration.


    After all, you are going to be the future alpha of the pack, right?¡±


    I said, and I could practically see his face brighten when I said that.


    ¡°You¡­you think I am fit to be the next alpha?¡±


    I did not know how to answer that. Most alpha sons would automatically be promoted as the heir to the


    alpha title. And though Sid was not my father¡¯s biological son, he could still take up the title because


    my father adopted him.


    ¡°Only if you run the pack better than Dad did,¡± I answered after some thought.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I expected him to be hurt, but his tone was positive.


    ¡°True that. Now, I¡¯ve got to go look at the pack treasury and the fund allocation. Bye¡±


    Saying so, he disconnected the call and left me staring at the phone for a while.


    Was he really trying to improve, or was all of this just a farce? He did apologize to me multiple times,


    and I knew he used to be quite a yboy, even back then. Though his way of showing his affection, or


    whatever it was for me..was oddly creepy.


    But was it only because of Celeste¡¯s upbringing? Did he deserve better treatment from me? What


    about my father? I simply ran away from him instead of exining my side to him and left him with


    vultures.


    My thoughts drifted back to my father and home, and I longed to see him. Now, after talking with Sid,


    the urge intensified even further.


    I kept reying my conversation with Sid over and over again. Back at our pack, he used to be


    obnoxious and arrogant, but he never apologized to me in his entire life, never showed the will to lift a


    ss of water, let alone work hard.


    Now, he seemed¡­ to understand things.. at least based on the way he spoke to me. It should have


    made me feel happy that he was changing, but what if something was going wrong in the pack?


    Celeste was not really a good nner and she must have worsened the rtionship of our pack with


    that of others in her haste to establish dominion over the others. And Sid was not the brightest bulb,


    either.


    I feared some pack would easily wage a war against ours and overtake our territory. What if somebody


    attacked and he¡­


    No, I could not let that happen.


    I had to find out what was going on. And I had the perfect n to see my father again.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    My mind was churning as I changed into afortable set of pajamas before deciding to go


    downstairs.


    I was feeling hungry, and I had to fill my appetite, which suddenly seemed to have increased after


    finding my wolf.


    Forget the rat race, there was an Olympic triathlon going on in my stomach and I felt I would pass out if


    I did not eat


    sooner.


    My muscles ached and my body still felt a little sore, but I knew that a warm meal would soothe my


    senses.


    Thus, hopping down the stairs, skipping one or two at a time, I went downstairs and the first thing I


    noticed was the delicious smell of food wafting through the kitchen.


    My stomach rumbled again, and I skipped thest three stairs and jumped down on the floor, heading


    straight towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Ooh, what are you cooking?¡± I peeked my head inside through the door and saw Maria hurriedly filling


    bowls of soup.


    With adle in her hand and a bit of the flour clinging to her apron, she turned to look at me.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss New Wolf¡± She smiled at me and I beamed.


    ¡°You must be ravenous, so I was asked to cook some extra meal packed with protein for you.¡±


    She added as I entered the kitchen and plucked an apple from the counter.


    The sweet taste of the apple rolled over my tongue as I leaned over her shoulder to get a good look at


    what was cooking.


    There was not just soup, but scrambled eggs, grilled chicken sd, some meat sandwiches, and a few


    dishes I did not know


    the names of.


    I rubbed


    a


    my hand on my belly as I looked at the food as if I had lived on breadcrumbs all my life. To some


    extent, it was true, but with the arrival of Thunder, I was finding even the simplest of things new and


    exciting.


    ¡°Go grab a seat. I am just serving the meal.¡±


    ¡°You are the best,¡± I said while rushing out to the table and grabbing a chair. I looked around as the


    servants went about their business when I saw Elijah climbing down the stairs.


    ¡°Hey there¡±


    I waved at him, and he gave me a bright smile.


    ¡°See? Didn¡¯t I tell you I would grab you by lunch time.¡±


    I smiled as he pulled the chair on the opposite side of the table directly in front of me and sat on it.


    ¡°So, done with work?¡± I asked as he plucked a slice of orange from the table and put it in his mouth.


    ¡°I think. Cal just goes too deep into everything¡±


    He said, and I chuckled, ignoring the odd fluttering in my stomach upon hearing his name. He and


    Cynthia were still probably working, but I did not mind.


    That would give me more time to talk to Elijah and ask for news about home.


    ¡°So, how was your trip? Did you meet a lot of people?¡± I asked in a friendly tone as Maria and the other


    servants began to bring in food.


    ¡°The usual. It should not have taken me so much time, but with this rogue King showing up out of


    nowhere, I had to take a few more precautions.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded absent-mindedly. I had just forgotten about the rogue king and that he had sent Sid


    after me.


    I should have enquired more about him to Sid when we spoke a while ago, but I was too caught up with


    my longing for home and meeting my father again.


    Imade a mental note to take that topic up when I spoke to Sid again.


    ¡°Are the packs safe? I mean, I heard the rogue King is being very vicious and sneaky. I hope nobody


    got hurt so far.¡±


    Elijah was ying with the spoon instead of having his soup as he seemed lost in thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah. Pack scuffles are a usual thing. Nothing that the alphas can¡¯t take care of on their own. As for


    the rogue King, he is just trying to increase his pack strength for now from what I hear. He does not


    have arge force tounch an attack. Probably he lost most of them in the battles or something¡­¡±.


    He trailed off, but my fear about my father and his well-being increased further. I had to know if he was


    okay.


    And I could not just run outside the mansion in search of our territory. Granted, I had Thunder now, but


    our pack was far away from the mansion to travel on foot. So, I did not know if Thunder was strong


    enough. Plus, I did not think it would go unnoticed if I took one of Cahan¡¯s cars outside sneakily..


    No, I had to somehow bring my father here.


    ¡°I see¡± I mumbled as worry began to gnaw at me again.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Hey, but enough talk about work. I have been talking about that for the past three or four hours with


    the King. Now, I just want to talk about something else.¡±


    He said and finished his soup.


    My ears twitched when I heard the door to Cahan¡¯s office open. He and Cynthia were talking and


    were headed towards the dining table probably given that it was lunch time:


    I gulped and tried to hastily finish my soup.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go,¡± I said and Elijah looked up at me in surprise, ¡°Where are you going? You barely had


    soup. Your wolf needs strength, girl.¡±


    He called out, but I pushed the chair forward and muttered, ¡°I just feel tired. I will have lunchter I


    guess¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that. You will only feel more weak,¡± He added, wondering why was I behaving so


    strangely all of a sudden.


    ¡°I guess my wolf got mood swings,¡± I muttered and stepped away from the table, but Cynthia had


    already called me out.


    ¡°Hey girl, where are you going? We have to create a n to work out together.¡± She said and I looked


    up to see a pair of golden eyes staring at me.


    This girl confused the hell out of me. One minute she would re at me, and other times she behaved


    as if I was her best friend in the whole wide world.


    am just¡­not hungry,¡± I answered, but Elijah got up from his seat and literally dragged me back to the


    table.


    I tried to resist, but he had already pushed me into the chair before I knew it.


    ¡°You need protein. If you skip meals, you will end up getting more exhausted.¡±


    We were seated on the corner chairs on the opposite side, the length running along almost half the


    room, and were busy eating so I had not even realized that there was another big chair sitting by the


    width of the table.


    ¡°Uh, sorry sweetie, but can you pick any other chair?¡±


    Cynthia batted her eyshes at me while Cahan pulled the big chair behind, its legs scraping on the


    floor slightly.


    He was going to sit beside me for the rest of the lunch? I wouldn¡¯t be able to eat with his eyes staring


    down at me either way.


    So I hastily got up from the chair, much to Elijah¡¯s disappointment.


    ¡°Hey, let her be¡± He looked at Cynthia, who only gave him a wry smile.


    ¡°I just wanted to talk a few more things about work to him. Besides, the chairs adjacent to the Kings are


    meant to be upied by the Beta or Gamma, or maybe someone of a higher rank.¡±


    Elijah opened his mouth to say something, but I did not want to argue. I stepped away and simply went


    to sit beside Elijah.


    Cahan watched me walk over to the other side with his eyes furrowed. I sat near Elijah and was d


    to put some distance from the King who looked a little annoyed at something.


    Cynthia got into the chair in front of Elijah and Maria politely asked, ¡°Soup or directly, the main course,


    King?¡±


    ¡°Get the main course. I have a lot of pending work to do,¡± He said.


    He closed his eyes, and I saw him rubbing his temples. He looked a little tired, and he had probably not


    gotten rest sincest night.


    Now that I thought about him, he had been in a meeting all day yesterday, then night I awakened my


    wolf and by the time we returned in the morning, Cynthia was waiting for him.


    The rogue menace was really putting a lot of pressure on him.


    His hair was messy, and he probably had not even gotten the time tob his hair. I wondered for a


    minute what it would feel to roam my hands over that silky mane, but then I sternly reminded myself


    that it was none of my business.


    ¡°So tell me all about your wolf awakening, Zenovia,¡± Elijah suddenly said out of nowhere.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Zenovia


    I had barely managed to lift the spoon when Elijah¡¯s question made me look up at him with wide eyes.


    Cynthia too tilted her head, apparently interested in my answer


    ¡°Uh, not much really. It was just like the usual.¡± I mumbled, trying to focus on the soup.


    Elijah did not seem convinced.


    ¡°Come on, there must have been something different. I missed being around you for your first shift. At


    least, tell me your experience and how you felt.¡±


    For the first time in my life, I hoped Elijah would stop talking to me. I tried to force some food down my


    throat and thought of an answer.


    ¡°Uh, the alphas and betas were all in a big meeting yesterday so Drusi helped me get dressed. Then


    I shortly joined the meeting and left to get some open air.¡±


    I answered and forced some more food down my throat.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. You just went outside and suddenly turned into your wolf?¡± Elijah asked and I had the urge to


    just poke him with my fork.


    I did not dare look at Cahan who was staring at the two of us with an amused expression.


    Cynthia tried to divert his attention from us.


    ¡°I am sorry I took so much of your time. I think you should get some rest. You look tired.¡±


    She said and Chan merely grunted. He was busy chewing on the piece of meat. ¡°No, I¡­struggled a


    bit to be honest. For some time, I felt I would not awaken my wolf today.¡±


    Elijah smiled, ¡°Happens. Though it was good that you had the King around you, right?¡±


    I hastily put a small piece of meat in my mouth to keep myself from answering directly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I managed to answer.


    ¡­


    ¡°Cahan really goes a long way to ensure that first time shifters have it easy. I am sure he made you


    comfortable.¡±


    Oh, you have no idea, El.


    I nodded, feeling that I did not have the mental capacity to form words.


    Elijah seemed oblivious to my plight. And from the corner of my eye, I definitely saw a hint of a smirk


    return on somebody¡¯s face. The King seemed to enjoy seeing me squirm and struggle to exin


    everything.


    Grrrrr.


    ¡°Y-yes¡± I managed.


    I hoped now he was done with the interrogation but apparently not. Cynthia too wanted to know more


    about it.


    So she jumped in, ¡°So, were you able to shiftpletely in the first attempt? Or did you require more


    time?¡±


    Okay, this was a question I could answer.


    ¡°Not really. As I said, I struggled a bit. First I felt something and told Cal-, I mean the King and he


    advised me to stand directly below the moonlight amidst the clearing. But then-¡±


    She abruptly cut me.


    ¡°Clearing? What clearing? Didn¡¯t you not shift like I don¡¯t know, in the huge backyard of this mansion?¡±


    Cahan almost sprawled on the chair, letting me fight for my life.


    ¡°Um, no. I¡­I was just feeling ustrophobic so¡­.so I went outside for some fresh air.¡±


    Elijah¡¯s voice grew hysterical.


    ¡°Outside? As in outside the mansion? Do you know how risky it is? There could be rogues lurking in the


    forest and you simply ran off outside.¡±


    No, your King drove me outside in his car. I also kissed him in the office and he kissed me back. And


    we just didn¡¯t stop at that.


    My gaze flicked to Cahan but it did not look like he would support my ims. Not that I was daring


    enough to admit to others that I was stupidly crushing on the King¡­or that I had to beg him to sate my


    heat.


    ¡°Uh, maybe¡± I offered, letting them arrive at their own conclusions.


    Cynthia¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°So, you ran outside the security of the mansion and Cal had to run behind


    you to ensure you stayed safe.¡±


    Her words were simple but her tone implied I made her precious Cahan run behind me instead of


    herself.


    ¡°Maybe she wanted you to run into Cahan¡¯s arms,¡± Thunder said in my head, half-yawning, half-


    mocking.


    Oh right. I forgot she could hear everything around me and just speak in my head out of nowhere.


    I tried to suppress a chuckle at her reply. Cynthia¡¯s eyes narrowed when she saw that.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be around people in case I failed to shift again,¡± I answered in ame attempt all the


    while Cahan pretended to eat.


    Maria came around to serve the second round of helpings and I hoped the discussion would steer in


    some other direction.


    My hands were beginning to get mmy and the rats running in my stomach had suddenly begun


    snoring.


    ¡°Your wolf¡­did she ask just immediatelyunch into a run?¡±


    I smiled at that memory. Thunder was quite sassy and had a quirky personality unlike me.


    ¡°I¡­I felt a stabbing pain all over my body when my wolf was trying to take control but could not. She


    wanted me to name her first.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Ooh. Really?¡± Elijah¡¯s eyes twinkled in excitement.


    ¡°Yes. I was not really in a condition to think of a name.¡±


    ¡°I understand. The pain is overwhelming. You have to loosen your muscles to help ease the tension¡±


    Elijah offered while sipping on his orange juice.


    ¡°Yes indeed. King Cahan even offered to help me with a name.


    The smirk disappeared from his face and his gaze flicked to me for the first time he sat on that awfully


    big chair of his.


    ¡°Please tell them what myment was¡­all of it¡± Thunder supplied, amused by the change in his


    bodynguage.


    ¡°That is great. So what did you finally name your wolf?¡±


    I looked at Cahan and his eyes seem to re at me. I looked at Elijah and answered innocently.


    ¡°I was too confused with the choices.¡±


    Thunder snorted in my head, ¡°Really?¡±


    I suppressed augh as I saw Cahan almost stab the potato with a fork.


    ¡°Yeah. Rose and Thunder.¡±


    Elijah dissolved in a fit ofughter, ¡°Rose? That is even ancient than my great grandmother¡¯s name.


    Please tell me you chose Thunder.¡±


    I smiled too sweetly at Cahan and saw a muscle tick in his jaw. The smirk was gone.


    Finally, I had managed to get under his skin. Why was only he supposed to get to enjoy my misery?


    Thunder added, ¡°You are not telling them the entire stuff, girl¡±


    But Elijah was already cackling withughter and hisugh was so infectious that Cynthia began to


    laugh too.


    Any other alpha would have simply snapped his gamma¡¯s neck forughing at him but I guess Elijah


    received a free pass on almost everything.


    Elijah wiped the tears off his face and suddenly went quiet. Cahan only stared at him pointedly and


    he immediately sobered.


    Cahan got up from the table, apparently done with lunch and walked away mumbling that he had


    work to do.


    Elijah nodded politely and Cynthia tailed him, hastily finishing thest few bits from her te and


    drinking water from a ss.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me¡±


    In her haste, Cynthia stabbed her toe and tripped. She would have almost smacked her face on the


    floor if not for Cahan turning around and breaking her fall in time.


    And I saw the way his hands grazed her skin when helping her back on her feet. And I felt a hot wave


    of jealousy course through me. It was unlike the short pangs I had felt before.


    This one was much more intense, much more deeper.


    My nails scraped the tablecloth as they walked away and I saw him put a hand on the small of her back


    when she swayed again.


    She had probably sprained an ankle. But why was I suddenly feeling so jealous?


    ¡°So, did you name your wolf Thunder?¡± Elijah asked.


    When I did not answer Elijah, he poked his elbow in my left side and I tried not to roll my eyes.


    ¡°Why are you even so interested in finding out? You must have seen plenty of wolves shifting for the


    first time all your life. What is so special about me?¡±


    I asked, my tone growing a bit harsher.


    And I realized the mistake the moment the words slipped out of my mouth. He was just being his usual


    goofy self but I had raised my voice unnecessarily.


    me the King.


    Ugh.


    Elijah¡¯s face fell almost instantly and he looked away. The hurt was visible on his face.


    I took a deep breath and lowered my voice.


    ¡°I am sorry. I should not have said that¡± I mumbled quietly, but he did not reply.


    I heard a light scoff from the other side of the table and did my best to ignore it.


    When Elijah did not reply, I slowly reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°It¡­ it was confusing as well as magical. I waited for almost an hour to feel something, but there was


    nothing. And then, all of


    a sudden a rush of energy overwhelmed my senses. Was that how you felt at your first shifting?¡±


    asked Elijah, tilting my head to gauge his expression.


    There was a soft clink of a spoon against the bone china dish, but I again ignored it.


    ¡°El, talk to me,¡± I whispered, my grip on his hand growing just a tad little tight.


    He turned his head to me and looked at me with a dead serious expression.


    ¡°No, when I first shifted I only saw a huge arachnid.¡±


    I blinked.


    ¡°A what?¡± I stared at him and he answered.


    ¡°Spider. A huge one¡±


    Then he lowered his voice and added, ¡°Have you not heard of it? There have been cases of wolves


    spotting wraiths. In some cases, we saw ghouls too.¡±


    When I did not react, he added, ¡°You should look at your face. Damn, you scare so easily¡±


    Elijah seemed to be having the time of his life.


    ¡°As long as there are no banshees, we should be fine,¡± I mumbled, and he broke out into a burst of


    laughter, clearly missing the way I was staring at Cynthia as she and Cahan disappeared above the


    stairs.


    Maybe, I could hit two birds with a stone.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    The next day started for me early in the morning. My internal clock seemed to have been waiting for the


    first rays of the sun to show up. Having found Thunder, I felt a renewed confidence in myself. And


    training myself well to not let her down as well as myself was the next step to calling myself a true


    werewolf.


    So I hurriedly pushed the sheets aside and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. The warm


    water rejuvenated my senses, but as soon as I picked the shower gel, I sneezed.


    ¡°I forgot about that,¡± I mumbled to myself and grabbed the soap bar with the least scent.


    Thunder did not throw a remark at me about it. Maybe she wanted to rest some more. It was odd, yet


    satisfying, to hear her voice in my head.


    Her presence wasforting and somehow I felt myself restlessly alive. Guess, that is what all the


    hype about finding a wolf was.


    Smiling happily to myself, I stepped out of my room while wrapping a towel around my body and went


    towards the wardrobe.


    Pulling out track pants, a sports bra, and ¨¤ tee, I put it on, pulled my hair in a ponytail, and put on the


    shoes before heading out towards the mansion grounds.


    The air was slightly chilly so I was d that I had the tee to protect my skin.


    The first light of dawn kissed the grounds, painting the world in hues of soft pink and gold.


    The world seemed to awaken with me, and a profound connection to the natural beauty surrounding


    the Lycan mansion filled me. The training grounds, usually tranquil in the early hours, now held the


    promise of action and growth. My eyes sparkled with curiosity as I looked at a rose blooming on one of


    the nts.


    Even from this distance, I could count the exact number of petals, and see the soft and varying shades


    of red and pink along with the fine dust of pollens in the center.


    Rose.


    That word brought forth a memory that I chuckled at and prepared to exercise: I hoped Elijah would


    show up soon because I was dying to train with him. And it was too early to text him, so I decided to do


    some stretching and maybe he would show up by the time I was done.


    And as if on cue, after ten minutes, I saw him walk outside the main door carrying a water bottle and a


    towel in his hand.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Early Bird¡±


    I smiled back at him. ¡°Morning Mister Gamma¡±


    He put


    the bottle and towel on the side and walked up to me.


    ¡°Mister Gamma? Ooh, I like it.¡± I cracked my knuckles as he asked,


    ¡°Ready to make today count?¡±


    I grinned, feeling the warmth of his positive energy. ¡°Absolutely. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± He asked, and I grinned, ¡°I want to learn how to fight.¡±


    Elijah cocked an eyebrow but did not object to it. I worried he would say I was rushing things, and that I


    had to get used to shifting first, but he simply nodded his head.


    ¡°Great. Try attacking me then¡±


    Under the canvas of the morning sky, our dynamic training session began. Elijah, with his years of


    experience, transformed into a patient mentor, guiding me through the intricacies ofbat. Earlier, I


    had only focused on training and improving my stamina, but it would be of no use if I did not know how


    to throw a punch or defend myself.


    Pack wars and fights were second nature to werewolves, and I was done being the weak wolfless girl.


    Now, I wanted to be a warrior, a useful soldier in the pack.


    And Elijah was more than happy to help me achieve that goal.


    He offered tips and tricks, correcting my posture and demonstrating techniques to conserve stamina.


    ¡°Zenovia,¡± he called, gently stopping me mid-swing, ¡°you¡¯re leaning too far forward. It exposes your


    nk. Keep your weight centered, like this.¡±


    Elijah demonstrated the adjustment, his movements precise and fluid. ¡°Feel the bnce. Now, try it,¡±


    he encouraged.


    I mimicked the correction, but a wave of self-consciousness washed over me. ¡°Am I doing it right?¡± I


    asked, a hint of uncertainty in my voice.


    Elijah¡¯s warm gaze met mine. ¡°You¡¯re getting there, Zenovia. It¡¯s a process. Keep practicing, and it¡¯ll


    be second nature.¡±


    As we continued, Elijah guided me through refining my footwork. ¡°Your steps are too wide; it leaves you


    off-bnce. Try a shorter stride and pivot your back foot like this. It¡¯ll give you better control and agility.¡±


    With each new correction, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit flustered. Elijah¡¯s patience, however, was


    unwavering. He would demonstrate the movement, his gestures graceful, and then guide me through


    the steps.


    ¡°Watch my footwork,¡± he said, executing a series of precise steps. ¡°See how I shift my weight? It¡¯s all


    about maintaining bnce and control.¡±


    I mirrored his movements, trying to capture the finesse he effortlessly disyed. Elijah¡¯s watchful eyes


    caught any nuance that needed adjustment. ¡°Good, Zenovia. You¡¯re catching on quickly. It¡¯s like a


    dance, each step intentional and purposeful.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As the sun climbed higher in the sky, casting a warm glow on my sweating body, I foundfort in


    Elijah¡¯s guidance. Minutes turned into hours, and I was panting and sweating as Elijah taught me some


    cool moves.


    It was hard and my breathing would getbored asionally but he would offer me short breaks,


    inquire if I was really not feeling down, and start again.


    I was learning, but I was still not fast. I had to be quick enough to attack him and so far, the only time I


    got to hit him in any way was when he let me.


    ¡°Rx, it is still your first day. You don¡¯t have to rush¡± Elijah ruffled my hair and offered me a towel after


    I could not take it anymore and my knees buckled under my weight. He was quick to break my fall and


    steady me.


    ¡°It has been hours since we started. Now go, get some rest,¡± Elijah advised, and I let him guide me to


    one of the benches to


    sit.


    I took a sip from the battle as he tightened theces of his shoes.


    ¡°Are you not done yet?¡± I asked. He had been teaching me for hours as well. He should be feeling just


    a little tired, if notpletely exhausted, like me.


    ¡°Oh. Nope, not yet¡± He smiled while wiping his head with the towel.


    When you first learned to train¡­how long did it take for you to¡­do everything?¡± I asked, not sure how


    to put it across.


    Elijah looked up at the sky, thinking about an answer.


    ¡°Not sure. Maybe a week or two?¡± he shrugged but my mouth fell open.


    ¡°JUST a week?¡±


    Elijah chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. Everybody¡¯s pace is different. You will get there.¡±


    He said reassuringly, but I felt the pressure building on me.


    I stayed mum, and he noticed that, so he came to sit beside me. ¡°Zen, you think a lot. Just believe in


    yourself and your wolf.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way¡± A curt voice snapped my attention away from Elijah. And I should not have


    turned so fast to look at the person walking towards us.


    Just why did he have to look so annoyingly handsome 24/7?


    I tried my best to appear unbothered as Elijah turned around to greet the Lycan King.


    ¡°Good morning King¡±


    Cahan smiled at him, not even bothering to look at me. He was wearing grey pants and a ck shirt


    and that dark color made the golden color of his eyes pop out even further.


    ¡°Believing in just her wolf won¡¯t win her any battles. Working hard on controlling her wolf and not letting


    doubts invade her mind will be the way to do it¡±


    He said without as much as casting a sideways nce at me.


    ¡°Is he always this flippant or today is some special day?¡± Thunder yawned in my head and I could not


    help but notice the timing of her arrival. All this time, she never spoke a word as I trained and sweated


    gallons.


    But the moment he arrived, she decided to show up as well.


    ¡°Nah, he mostly reserves his special tongue. Especially for me,¡± I said, not realizing that I had said it


    out aloud. Or that he had heard it.


    Shit.


    Author¡¯s note: Hello lovelies, due to the festive season, updates will be slow in theing week. But, I


    will try to update whenever I can.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    From behind him, I heard the singsong voice of Cynthia as she walked out of the door. She was


    dressed in formals too and her hair was left open.


    Meanwhile, I looked like a homeless person with the way my hair was sticking out all over my head.


    ¡°There you are,¡± she said, smiling at Cahan and Elijah.


    Elijah waved at her while Cahan gave me a side eye before continuing his discussion with Elijah.


    ¡°The report that you gave me¡­are you sure that is correct?¡±


    He asked, and Elijah nodded. ¡°I was there, scouting through the forest. I do believe it is correct.¡±


    Cahan did not reply immediately, but Elijah asked him worriedly, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Cahan grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him to the side. ¡°Well, you do know that this is the south


    we are talking about.¡±


    I strained my ears the moment I heard ¡®south¡¯. Thanks to Thunder, my hearing senses had heightened.


    ¡°Yes, King. What is wrong?¡±


    Cahan did not talk to him, but I saw them look at each other intently.


    ¡®why are they not talking?¡¯ I thought and stared at their faces, or particrly Cahan¡¯s lips.


    ¡°They are talking through mind link,¡± Thunder supplied.


    And I felt queasy. There was something going on in the south and I felt worried about my father. I had


    to do something to bring him here.


    My eyes flicked to Cynthia, who was patiently waiting by their side, looking dreamily at Cahan.


    I only frowned and wondered what was so secretive that made Cahan switch to talking in the mind.


    If only I could hear them¡­


    And as if he had sensed what was going on in my head, he said in a loud voice.


    ¡°And tighten the security around the mansion. Nobody leaves or enters the mansion without my


    permission.¡±


    I looked up at him to see him look pointedly at me.


    ¡°Noone¡± He added while staring at me.


    Elijah nodded his head, and Cynthia began talking to him while I ran behind Cahan.


    ¡°Wait¡±


    I called out, but Cahan was walking away too fast for me.


    When he did not lower his speed, I dashed up the stairs and blocked his way.


    ¡°why are you ignoring me?¡±


    I asked, but Cahan simply stepped aside and began climbing up the stairs.


    ¡°What happened in the South? Is anybody in danger?¡±


    I asked and again he ignored me. This time, I grabbed his hand forcefully and repeated, ¡°Is my father in


    danger?¡±


    Cahan¡¯s gaze lowered to where our hands were touching, and then he leaned forward, making me


    hesitate a little.


    ¡°Stay out of this,¡± He warned but I could not.


    ¡°Please. I have to know if he is going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop meddling in things, he won¡¯t be fine¡±


    Cahan answered and began walking away again. I reached for his arm, but this time he was quick.


    He pulled away before I could touch him and instead, grabbed my hand and pinned me to the wall.


    ¡°Just because you awakened your wolf doesn¡¯t make you stronger than me. I am tolerating your


    behavior, but don¡¯t test my patience.¡±


    He said and I could feel his body heat this close, along with the way his irises shone when the sunlight


    reflected on them.


    My heartbeat quickened to feel his breath tingle on my skin.


    Ignoring the frenzied feelings, I gulped and tried to speak. ¡°I am only asking you about my father. And¡­


    I am willing to help if there is something that can be done.¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Cahan scoffed. ¡°First, you have to learn to help yourself. Learn to shift without passing out or


    train without panting like you climbed a mountain.¡±


    I got so annoyed, I tugged hard at his arm and screamed, ¡°Why do you always think of me as a loser?


    What have I ever done to you?¡±


    Cahan rubbed his temple, and in a second, his hand was around my waist. In the next moment, he


    pulled me up, threw me on his shoulder, and carried me to his office.


    Before I could scream again, I was deposited on the huge desk that was littered with files and papers.


    ¡°A war is brewing, Zenovia. People die in a war. People get hurt and you lose your loved ones. I have


    every reason to believe the rogue king is using you as bait to lure me. And I don¡¯t want you to think of


    yourself as too mighty who can run outside that gate, wave some magic wand and everything will be


    sorted.¡±


    ¡°Me? As a bait?¡±


    I asked in confusion, and he threw the papers at me. ¡°Read that report¡±


    I pushed the hair out of my eyes and began reading. There were also some photos. After I was done, I


    looked up.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Ashwell pack¡¯s alpha, our neighbor¡¯s pack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, andst week they all were almost skinned alive.¡±


    I studied the pictures. To say that they were gruesome was an understatement. Their clothes were


    burned, their eyes gouged out, and their intestines spilled.


    ¡°There are no w or bite marks on those bodies,¡± Cahan added as I studied the corpses.


    ¡°Who is behind this, then?¡±


    Cahan had a grim look on his face. ¡°We have no suspect except the rogue King. But the attacks


    happened too close to your pack. I think he is trying to lure you out of this mansion. Out in the open.


    Either he is doing this with the help of some witch or maybe this is a plot to throw suspicion on


    someone else. I am not sure of that.¡±


    I put the papers down on the table.


    ¡°But you said he was trying to lure you out by using me. Why do you think that?¡±


    Cahan scoffed again. ¡°Because you are the weakest link in my pack right now. He wants you to be


    flustered and do something stupid that will endanger you or the rest of my pack. And I don¡¯t want you to


    give him any reason to do so until I figure out what is going on.¡±


    I gulped, ¡°But¡­.what if it is not a message and someone really is killing people for whatever reason?


    My pack is there. My father is there.¡±


    Chan raised his voice. ¡°Your father disowned you. Are you forgetting that? He sold you to me. He


    believed all the crap your step brother sh boyfriend fed him and left you to die.¡±


    I tried hard not to cry.


    ¡°He is still my father.¡±


    Cahan banged his fist on the table, making me wince. ¡°I knew you would say that which is why I want


    you to stay out of this. And it would be great if you don¡¯t run away from me again because believe me,


    Zee, a time wille when I will note to save you.¡±


    He held my gaze, and I saw a turbulence of emotions in his eyes. He had worded thatst line like a


    warning, like a threat, but the way his eyes looked at me¡­ the way they shone with a trace of doubt


    made me stare at him in confusion.


    ¡°Why did you say that?¡±


    Lasked, and Cahan let out another breath, his lower lip trembling ever so slightly.


    ¡°Because I have every intention of throwing you out of my pack if you keep disobeying me¡±


    I kept staring him in the eye and slowly shook my head. ¡°No, that is not the reason you said that.¡±


    Cahan leaned forward, his breath tickling my skin all over again.


    ¡°It is¡±


    But somehow I felt he was hiding something. ¡°Please, tell me what is wrong. Why would you note


    to save me?* ¡°Why do you even need saving?¡± Cahan ran a hand through his hair, apparently


    annoyed by the slip of tongue earlier.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Are you in danger?¡± I asked, and his eyes narrowed at me.


    ¡°The curse. Is something going on? Are you¡­?¡± I began, but he cut me off.


    ¡°I would worry about myself if I were you.¡±


    ¡°But I want to help. Please, Cahan, tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Prove it. Prove it to me that you can help me without fainting or needing my saving and I will tell you


    the rest.¡±


    His tone had a finality that left no room for questions or doubts.


    ¡°Promise?¡± I asked, trying not to let the slight grin show up on my face. My heart was definitely


    hammering all over again by our nearness and the fact that he had shown just a trace of vulnerability,


    just a glint of his true worries¡­even if it was a slip of the tongue.


    Cahan was not someone who showed weakness. He would always brush off needing someone¡¯s


    help. But the fact that he asked me to prove my worth and not outright deny needing any help told me I


    had to up my game.


    And that fueled me up with some much needed fire. If he needed help, I was going to try everything in


    my power to give it to him.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    Zenovia


    The next few days passed into a blur as I trained and kept pushing myself as if my life depended on it. I


    did it all- strength training, stamina increasing exercises, and workouts to strengthen my core like


    clockwork.


    It didn¡¯t matter if Elijah was with me or if Cahan passed by without even looking at me. I did what I


    could. I repeated their workouts and also added some of my own by seeing videos on the inte. One


    such day, Iy on the ground, panting and wheezing after feeling like my lungs would burst apart due to


    lack of air.


    Thunder was a solid support and she helped me push myself. With her, I was never truly alone.


    ¡°Oh my, girl cut yourself some ck¡±


    I heard Cynthia as she walked out on the ground towards me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother¡± I quipped and got up from the ground, tying my shoces so as to give myself


    something to do.


    ¡°Oh, alright then. Just thought you wanted toe along to the pack to see the trials.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°What trials?¡±


    Cynthia twirled a strand of her hair and answered, ¡°Oh, did nobody tell you? Well, every few months


    the newly awakened wolves are assessed on their strengths and how far they have progressed in trials


    aka mini spars or battles where all newly awakened wolvespete with each other. The one who


    stays standing at the end gets to request a reward from the Lycan King himself. Great, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I dusted my hands and got up from the ground.


    ¡°That is¡­.great¡± I said as a n began to form in my mind.


    ¡°When are the trials held?¡±


    Cynthia rubbed the back of her neck, ¡°As I said every few months when there are enough candidates to


    hold a trial. Given the rogue King and how the new wolves are behaving, I suggested to the King that


    we should hold the trials sooner. He approved of the idea.¡±


    I nodded,


    ¡°That is a great idea. The newly awakened wolves would feel involved and it is a great way to make


    packs interact with each other in a friendly way instead of always lunging at each other¡¯s throats.¡±


    Cynthia¡¯s expression brightened.


    ¡°I know right? That is why I came up with the idea. Cahan has been so worried and stressedtely


    with the way things are going on and I could only do my bit to take off some of his load¡­you know as


    the future Luna.¡±


    She batted her eyshes at me and I grunted.


    ¡°Where do I go to register for the trials?¡±


    I had bigger worries on my mind than her petty drama. And my feelings about Cahan were a mess.


    Like an idiot, I had confessed like a school girl that I was crushing on him and he had made out with me


    but he never took the effort to speciallye looking for me, neither did he ever make an effort to talk


    to me on his own unless it was rted to training or my butted in to ask about my father.


    It hurt a little that he did not feel anything except for the need to sate my wolf heat but then I could


    either mope about it all my life or get over it and focus on my goals.


    I had to save my father and my pack. My feelings for Cahan would die eventually. At least, that is


    what I told myself.


    11:54


    ¡°Oh, are you sure you want to do it? I believe Matteo is in charge of everything. You could ask him.¡±


    I bit my lower lip.


    I had never interacted much with the beta of the pack. He was always busy with work and duties.


    ¡°Or maybe you could ask the King himself. Though I am not sure if he has the time to talk to you.¡± As if


    I needed any more reminders about that.


    Seeing my silence, she pulled out the phone and dialed someone.


    ¡°Hey Cal, I have a request. Can we talk?¡±


    My eyes went wide when she directly dialed him and began talking.


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t¡± I tried to whisper but she put a hand on her lips as if to signal me to keep quiet.


    ¡°Yeah, I know you are busy. Sorry for disturbing you. But, Zenovia wanted to participate in the trials and


    she was hesitant to talk to you.¡±


    What was this girl even doing?


    ¡°No, I did not ask you to speak to him on my behalf¡± I whisper yelled at her. But she continued to shush


    me and pulled the phone closer to her ear.


    ¡°What did you say? Sorry, your voice is not clear¡± She said and then put the phone on speaker.


    ¡°Cyn, I am busy. If she wants she can participate but I doubt she willst the first round. Ask her to stay


    at home and train instead.¡±


    Cynthia threw me a sorry look and she hastily added, ¡°Oh she IS training very hard. So what if she is a


    late bloomer? She deserves a chance.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°you know what? Forget it. I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I said and began walking away. I was hurt by the way he spoke of me, the way he still dismissed me as


    if I was made of ss.


    ¡°Now you just made her cry. Stop being so rude to her¡± Cynthia spoke but I did not strain my ears to


    hear his response.


    Wiping the tears off my face, I angrily stormed inside the doors and towards my room. I hated my life


    and my fate that had to make everything so difficult for me.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Cynthia came running after me and spoke softly.


    ¡°Hey, you know he is busy and stressed out. He means well for you.¡±


    She spoke and I shook my head.


    ¡°You did not have to request anything from me.¡±


    She bit her lower lip. ¡°I know you hate me and that I have not really been a good friend around you. But


    being a Luna of the lycan King is not all rainbows and sunshine.¡±


    I looked up at her, ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    She pulled me towards a chair and made me sit while offering a ss of water to me.


    ¡°Do you know when I was young, I was asked to train with the sons of the beta and gamma? Men who


    are gically stronger than me. I was a frail girl too. Even if I have alpha blood in me, I had to work


    hard to earn the respect of my pack members who thought I was just a beautiful doll that my father


    would trade in marriage for political reasons.¡±


    I took a sip of water, wondering where she was going with this.


    ¡°Despite being the daughter of an alpha, I did not have it easy for me. If anything, I had more pressure


    than anyone to prove my worth. Everybody kept saying it was a shame that my father didn¡¯t have a


    son, an heir to the throne.¡±


    ¡°Okayyy¡­¡±


    I said warily as she suddenly turned all business to me.


    11:54


    ¡°I know you like Cahan. There is hardly any girl who doesn¡¯t. But let me tell you that he is rude, and


    obnoxious and only respects you when you have proven your worth. If you go to him crying and


    sobbing every time, he will not be the prince who rescues the damsel in distress.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    I asked and she ced her hands on the table.


    ¡°I have worked extremely hard to get to the position I have. Cahan might not love me yet but he


    knows I am good at drafting uses, fighting, administrative functions, and everything else that he


    needs in a partner to keep the pack functioning. I mean, he has not just his pack but an entire kingdom


    to run. So, when the time trulyes, who do you think he will choose? A girl who stares at him with


    puppy eyes or a girl who knows being his luna means making difficult decisions for him, being an equal


    he can rely on.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t fancy being his Luna.¡±


    She let out a mirthless chuckle, ¡°You can¡¯t, sweetie. All these days, I kept dismissing you as just


    another girl who keeps eyeing him like a delicious candy but let me warn you, if you ever try to dream


    beyond your limits, I will be more than happy to clip your wings.¡±


    I put the ss down. ¡°Is this a threat?¡±


    She leaned back on the chair, ¡°Make you what you want of it. You can even go run to him and tell him


    everything I said to you right now. I don¡¯t care. It will only make you look weak in front of him and that


    will be easy for me. I am being nice to you and letting you stay around him. Just know to stay within


    your limits.¡±


    I got up from the chair and pushed my hair back.


    ¡°I would rather defeat werewolves in the trials than bicker with you here¡±

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Zenovia


    Cynthia¡¯s words made me angry and annoyed but deep down I knew she had a point. I had to stop


    running to Cahan for every little thing.


    He had hinted that himself. I wondered for a second if she was the one to fill his mind with those words


    because both of them said the same thing.


    Frustration was welling inside of me and I angrily pulled out the phone and dialed Matt¡¯s number.


    ¡°Hello, Matt?¡±


    I spoke. He was surprised to receive my call. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up? A little busy here. Is El not there or¡­¡± I


    cut him abruptly.


    ¡°I heard you are the one in charge of conducting the trials. I wished to register myself.¡±


    Matt¡¯s tone was a little hesitant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is possible. The list of participants is preapproved and no changes can be made.¡±


    ¡°Pre-approved by who?¡± I asked pointedly.


    ¡°Alphas and the Lycan King himself.¡±


    ¡°Did the Lycan King specifically ask my name to be left out?¡±


    ¡°No, but..¡±


    ¡°Are you the one in charge of the trials?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that I am¡±


    ¡°That is settled then. Where are the trials being held?¡±


    ¡°Open grounds a short distance away from our pack. But I don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    I disconnected the call and got ready for the trials. Walking back to my room, I grabbed a bag and


    threw in a few spare clothes, a first aid kit, water bottles, and towels, and tied my shoces again.


    Walking down the stairs, I zoomed into the kitchen and pulled out a few eggs, scrambled them, and ate


    with bread to not pass out due to exhaustion.


    I would have not even eaten anything but I did not want to risk appearing weak in front of the


    participants.


    Thankfully, I knew my way to the pack so I walked down the small patch that led to the packhouse a


    short distance away from the grand mansion.


    When I reached the gates, I saw the security guard and he immediately waved at me.


    It was then that I recalled Elijah had asked him to let me in and out whenever I wanted. However, I was


    not heading inside the pack.


    I simply waved at him and began marching towards the open arena. A viewing area with chairs had


    been constructed around arge open arena that was in the center.


    The arena¡¯s ground was filled with sand and there were a few men with a whistle and caps, instructing


    everyone where to sit and what to do.


    I looked through the crowd of spectators that was beginning to fill in the chairs. It was more like a


    colosseum with tiers of seating, filled with plush chairs going around in concentric circles around the


    huge space.


    My gaze flitted through the crowd to spot Matt. He was holding a writing pad and a pen, scribbling


    something on a paper.


    ¡°Beta Matteo¡± I called out over the hubbub of the crowd.


    Matt looked up at me once and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think you can participate in the trials. You are


    not


    11:54


    even supposed to leave the mansion.¡±


    I pulled my hair back in a ponytail.


    ¡°So it was wise of all of you to be here and leave me all alone in the mansion? Great security?¡±


    Matt opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. ¡°There are enough security guards


    stationed all around the mansion.¡±


    ¡°But everybody is here. And so am I now. So you either add me to the list or I simply challenge


    someone on the spot.¡±


    Matteo raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who even told you all the rules?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°People talk a lot. I picked up a few conversations on the way. Now, can I get that badge or


    not?¡±


    Matt frowned but wrote my name on the list.


    ¡°Technically, these are not the trials but more of a group activity to keep everybody engaged and


    united. Take some stress off the rogue King and the attacks. You better be in front of me than anywhere


    else if Cal were to find out you are not inside your room. So, yeah, I can let you in.¡±


    He said with a small smile and I smiled back at him.


    I went to the desk where a few young boys and girls were busy handing out instructions, registering the


    participants, and noting down some basic information.


    There were a few raised eyebrows when I told them my name and the pack I belonged to. Apparently,


    the Skalbeck pack did not have many newly awakened wolves so I was the only one.


    I took the badge one of the boys handed over to me while eyeing me curiously.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know there were participants from the Lycan King¡¯s pack himself.¡±


    I fastened it to the front of my shirt and muttered, ¡°Now you know¡±


    We were all asked to gather in a small room with a door that would lead straight into the sandy pit


    where we were supposed to fight.


    I looked around at the participants. Most of them were nervous but a few were smiling confidently.


    I rubbed my hands as I realized this was going to be the first time I really fought someone. I had always


    trained alone or with as less people around me as possible so to have so many eyes on me would be


    daunting.


    But I shook off the feeling. This was my one chance to not just tell that arrogant Lycan King but also


    other packs know that I was not a weakling.


    Matteo entered the room and pushed his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°Alright, everybody. The trials will begin in ten minutes. This is a good way for you to showcase how


    much you have learned, how well you adapt to stressful situations, and in the future if you can take up


    big responsibilities to save the pack.¡±


    He eyed all the participants who were hearing him intently.


    ¡°I am the one in charge of these trials. This time, we don¡¯t have a high number of participants since


    many of your friends left the pack in search of better prospects. The situation is still under control as


    your friends and siblings are just sitting in a room, idling around. But, if the timees when there is


    an attack, I doubt they will be strong enough to save themselves.¡±


    I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows and then at the others around me. It looked like not many knew


    of the attacks in the south, or about the pictures that I had seen in Cal¡¯s officest night.


    ¡°Show your strength but you are not supposed to seriously injure or maim your opponent. This is more


    of a friendly spar. Understood?¡±


    There was a stunned silence at his words. ¡°Understood?¡± He repeated again.


    One of the boys raised his hand and asked, ¡°But if we fight in a friendly way, how would we know how


    to fight rogues or enemy packs? We will be only limiting ourselves.¡±


    11:540


    Matt only looked at him with a straight face, ¡°There won¡¯t be a full medic team on standby, neither a


    group of supporters nor rule enforcers to save you from any untoward incident in a war. Real fights get


    ugly. This is just a drill NOT a life and death fight. You will get many more chances to fight a real fight


    soon enough.¡±


    His answer silenced the young man who studied the floor.


    ¡°Anybody else has a question?¡±


    Another girl raised her hand, ¡°How exactly are we going to fight? Are we allowed to shift?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°We start with a group fight and keep narrowing it down. You are 50 participants in total. First, we have


    a 25 vs 25 fight. Then we narrowed it down to 5,3 andstly one on one from both groups of 25


    participants. Thest man or woman standing from either group will have a one on one face off. You


    are allowed to shift if needed but as I said you cannot seriously harm anyone. If I see someone


    cheating or not ying by the rules, they will be immediately disqualified.¡±


    ¡°What does the winner get?¡± I asked.


    Matt looked at me. ¡°He or she gets to ask anything as a reward from the Lycan King.¡±


    ¡®Perfect¡¯ I thought with a grin.


    Author¡¯s note: Hello, my lovely readers. I apologize for the slow updates. I am very sick and it is the


    festive season here hence the dy.

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Zenovia


    Matteo walked out of the room and I fidgeted with my fingers as I heard him greet the crowd.


    I did not know all of the people inside the room and it was not the time to bond over either. I was feeling


    nervous and second guessing if it had been the right decision to show up here when I could have been


    sleeping in my bed.


    ¡°Thunder?¡± I tried to speak to my wolf. At times like these, it was good to have her to talk to.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You did the right thing¡± She replied, making my racing heart calm down a little. ¡°Sorry to drag you here


    when we trained so hard in the morning¡± I offered but I felt her stifle a yawn.


    ¡°No worries. I never see people around us. It¡¯s usually just the grumpy King and his minions and as


    Matt said, it is going to be a friendly spar. So we will be fine.¡± I felt relieved to hear her words which


    gave me some encouragement.


    The next moment, the door to themon room was thrown open and we all walked outside.


    The crowd erupted in cheers as we all made our way to the arena. There were referees stationed on all


    four sides on a small podium elevated above the boundary of the arena for them to clearly see


    everything.


    We went inside the huge arena and I looked up. The seats were filled to the brim and people were


    cheering and pping. That made me feel both nervous and excited.


    Matteo made us all walk in a line to enter the sandy arena and the first twenty-five were put in one


    group, Team A while the rest in another, Team B.


    I belonged to the first group.


    ¡°OK, you might want to remove your shoes and socks. We start on the count of three¡±


    We did as asked and stood facing each other in arge group face-off. My heart was pouding and I felt


    the heartbeat drowning all the noise around me. ¡°Your task is simple for this round. Simply push the


    other team members to the ground. Once your back touches the ground, you are disqualified. The


    team with the most members who did not fall down by the end will be the winner.¡±


    I looked ahead at the opposite group. I barely got a chance to look at half of them when the referee


    announced,


    ¡°Three¡­two¡­one¡­go!!¡±


    And then chaos ensued. Everybody just ran at each other and people began


    10:20 D


    pulling and pushing at others.


    Some were so startled that a few fell down when the opposing team came running at them and


    smacked their bodies into them.


    Luckily, I had been standing a few feet away from them so narrowly avoided falling down. Our team


    had already lost three members.


    ¡°Out¡±


    The referee bellowed and the three members stepped out of the arena with a disgruntled look. Our


    opposing team felt motivated by their headstart win and they began forming groups of two or three to


    repeat the technique and just push our team down.


    Our team was too scattered and shaken by the loss and soon we lost two more. ¡°Shit¡± I muttered and


    that was when the group of three noticed me.


    Their gazes quickly looked away, making me fume in anger.


    They dismissed me as a threat quite easily. ¡°Oi¡± I shouted and ran into them as they formed a human


    chain and went after three more members of my group. ¡°What are you looking at? Fight back!¡± I yelled


    at those three young boys of my group who nodded furiously and raised their hands to hurl a punch.


    But they separated in the process and were easily pushed down. At this rate, we would lose pretty


    soon. So I crouched on all fours and snaked on the ground, crawling on all fours while making my way


    through the opposing team that was too busy trying to pull others down to keep an eye around their


    own feet.


    ¡°What the-¡±


    I elbowed the trio in the back of their knees and they all went down easily. I did not wait to see their


    reaction and quickly went toward the other group that was utilizing a simr tactic.


    The referee announced, ¡°Seven all. The match will resume after two more minutes. Time out¡±


    I got up from the crouched position and looked around to see the opposing team ring at me.


    Particrly a group of girls. Where had I seen them again?


    I ignored their gazes and walked back to our group, Team A, most of whom were surprised that we had


    managed to even the score.


    ¡°Were you the one who took everybody down?¡± A young girl asked while drinking water from a bottle.


    ¡°Yes. The rules didn¡¯t state I could not crawl on all fours¡± I grinned and she grinned back.


    ¡°Smart move¡±


    Others nodded in appreciation too and for the first time, I felt I was a part of something, not an outcast.


    10:20


    ¡°Now how do we tackle the rest of Team B?¡± One of the boys asked and I answered.


    ¡°They will be careful now. I suggest we form a human chain and hold our hands tightly. Use shared


    strength to punch or kick at the iing attacks. But if we lose bnce, then we let go of the hold,


    push the other party down, and rejoin our hands.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± The girl from earlier replied, ¡°But are you sure it will work?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I haven¡¯t fought inrge groups either. But it is all about teamwork. We stand strong


    as a team and we should be fine.¡±


    The referee blew the whistle and we were back in the game. I was doubtful if my team would listen to


    me but they did and we all formed a big human chain and ran towards the other group, making four or


    five of the other team fall down. ¡°Great!! Keep up the formation!!¡± I yelled from the other end of the


    human chain as a group of five more opponents ran toward us.


    ¡°Circle up, now!!¡± I thought on the spot and we circled the five opponents, leaving the remaining


    outside.


    We simply had to lessen the radius of our human circle to take them out. A few kicks and punches


    later, they were down. They did put up a fight and some of our team members got injured, and two fell


    down, but we still managed to do it.


    Now we had an upper hand. My eyes flicked to the huge timer that reflected the time left.


    ¡°Just fifteen seconds left¡±


    I said but the group of five from before of team B simply ran at me and began hitting and punching me


    viciously.


    ¡°Ow¡± I tried to fight back but one of the girls grabbed my hair and the other drove a punch straight into


    my abdomen.


    The rest of my team was fighting the others so they took a moment to notice and rush to my aid but


    thankfully the referee blew the whistle signalling the end of the match.


    ¡°End of time. Team A wins this match¡¯


    99


    The girl holding my hair let go of my ponytail angrily, shoving it brutally in my face while the other red


    at me.


    ¡°This is not over¡±


    I wanted to shout back at them but the match was already over. I would get time to worry about them


    later. Why had they attacked me out of nowhere?


    ¡®Maybe they were just bitter about their loss,¡¯ I figured and dismissed their thoughts.


    All of my team members came running towards me and asked if I was okay. It felt nice to have found a


    supporting team that listened to me.


    For the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere. My team members patted my back and began


    asking more about where I was from and what pack I belonged to. Most thought I was a daughter of an


    alpha or a beta.


    So they were surprised to hear that I belonged to the Skalbeck pack.


    ¡°What? YOU are the girl that the Lycan King took under his wing?¡±


    I let out a sigh. I was so much more than just some girl that the Lycan King took pity on. Would I ever


    get rid of that identity?


    Thunder answered the question, ¡°You will. We both just have to work a bit harder than others.¡±


    Her wordsforted me a little and I got ready for the next round.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    Zenovia


    The next battles felt like a breeze. Our first victory motivated our team a lot and even after breaking into


    smaller teams, team A won against Team B¡¯s opponents most of the time.


    After a few more rounds, when it began to be obvious that Team B¡¯s opponents were losing, the


    spectators began to boo and lose interest in the match.


    Seeing their loss of interest, Matteo decided to switch things a bit.


    He blew the whistle to gain our attention.


    ¡°OK, now team A and team B fight amongst themselves instead of each other. It would be between five


    people from each team that remain standing at the semi finals and then thest one on one match.¡±


    He announced and immediately a few visitors began whispering excitedly. Matteo had just turned the


    game upside down.


    Now, I had to fight against the very team members I had started to bond with. I stared at them warily


    and they, too, looked at each other warily.


    Just like that, our team bond was now strained. My gaze flitted to the other team, and it looked like they


    were not having it much easy either.


    Little sparks of fight had already begun showing as one boy shoved the other mercilessly and the


    referee had to intervene to signal that they could fight each other when he announced it.


    I looked at my team and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We are not going to hurt each other, are we? We will just


    try to throw each other down to the ground. No harsh movements or anything.¡±


    I said and held my hand in front of them with my palm open.


    A few looked at me doubtfully but one girl smiled and ced her hand on mine. Soon, more followed


    suit and then we all cheered and got into position as we waited for the referee¡¯s signal.


    Now we were just eight on either team and it didn¡¯t take us long to end up with five. Two of our team


    members gave in pretty easily because one had injured his ankle while the other girl had sprained her


    foot.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    So both were not confident of tackling the other team B that was fighting each other viciously.


    It was funny to watch them. The other team was practically pulling at each other¡¯s hair and clothes and


    kicking and shoving to push each other down.


    Meanwhile, our team just was yful and did not lunge at each other¡¯s throats for victory. We had a


    team spirit and even those who were asked to leave the arena after being disqualified had a smile on


    their faces.


    11:17 0


    After the referee announced the end of the match, I ran towards the injured and we chatted for a while


    before the next fight would begin.


    Frankly, I had not even expected tost this long. Not only because I doubted


    my strength was enough, but because I thought I would be dragged out of the arena before stepping


    into it.


    I had been fearing that Cahan would show up and drag me outside, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    I felt a little upset to not have been able to show my progress to him and how I am not a weak, timid girl


    anymore, but he was not around.


    Probably, he had more important things to do than watch the pups fight and bicker with each other.


    ¡°Hey, you fight really well¡± I was dragged out of my thoughts when one of my team member spoke to


    me.


    I smiled, ¡°We all tried our best¡±


    She was a cute girl and looked younger than me.


    ¡°My name is Caroline. Think I did not introduce myself earlier.¡±


    She extended a hand which I took and shook lightly.


    ¡°Zenovia.¡± I offered and looked at her leg. ¡°How is your injury?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to worry about. But I think that team B girls hate you¡±


    I chuckled. I was not the only one who had noticed them ring at me, it seemed.


    ¡°Yeah, I have no idea why but they do look a little familiar. Not all, just a few, but I dont know where I


    might have seen them.¡±


    Caroline put the bottle on the seat beside her and replied, ¡°Just stay careful. They look mean and


    bitchy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I will¡±


    I heard the whistle signaling for us to return back to the arena. And I stepped with my team of 4 other


    yers to fight against the team of 5 from team B.


    However, when the timer started, all the team B members looked at each other and smiled deviously.


    Before I knew what was happening, they all ran towards our team¡­or rather, me.


    Five girls, all angry and hissing, lunged at me. Two grabbed my hands, two grabbed my legs, while the


    one left began punching me left and right.


    My team only stared at them for a second with a disbelieving look.


    ¡°Hey, this is a team match!!¡±


    Caroline shouted from outside the arena. Her words dragged the others out of their stupor and they


    tried to shake off the girls wrestling me.


    But I don¡¯t know why they left all the four other members and only ganged up against me.


    ¡°This is cheating¡± Caroline called out to the referee but there was no rule expressly stating that they


    could not do what they were doing.


    My team tried pulling them down and hitting them, but the girls ignored their efforts and only began


    dragging me to a corner, away from my team.


    ¡°Hey, why the hell are you targeting me?¡± I tried to speak while wrestling out of the hold of the girls who


    were holding my hands, but they did not answer.


    I struggled and writhed, but my strength was not on par to take down five of them at once. I saw the


    one holding my left leg was already distracted by my team member trying to pull her away, so I kicked


    as hard as I could into her abdomen while also pushing my leg in the sand to throw the grains of sand


    in her face.


    As expected, she winced and lost her hold on my leg as the sand got in her eye. The one holding my


    arm yelled at the girl holding my right leg, ¡°Don¡¯t let her go¡±


    I looked up at her as she snarled at me, but I took my chance and swung my free leg as hard as I could


    and the tip of my toe connected with the small of her back.


    ¡°Ahh¡± She winced and lost control of my other foot. Sensing the opportunity, I roved my foot in the sand


    while the two began dragging me, their nails digging into my skin painfully.


    I could hear hysterical shrieks from the crowd and even Caroline who was jumping up and down from


    the bench.


    I saw her running to Matteo and arguing with him, but the girls had not seriously injured me, nor had


    they shifted into their wolf forms.


    At first, I felt angry that he did not stop them, but then I told myself I did not need anybody¡¯s help. I


    recalled the times when Sid and his friends had bullied me just like this while I expected somebody to


    intervene, to save me.


    The scene began ying vividly in front of my eyes of how he would taunt and bully me while the


    others would either enjoy it or act like passive bystanders.


    ¡°You bitch. You think you can humiliate us just because you are a smartypants? I will show you what it


    means to be a warrior.¡±


    The girl holding my right hand smiled deviously and sunk her nails further into my skin and I felt


    something warm trickle out of my skin.


    But I did not have time to cry. I was done crying.


    So, using the pain as a motivation, I tried to nt my foot in the sand again and twisted my body at an


    odd angle, recalling how Cahan had done that when the rogues had fought him back at the hospital.


    My moves hadn¡¯t been smooth like his, but I managed to take the two girls by surprise and jump back


    on my feet while freeing my hands of their hold.


    Bending down, I collected sand in both my hands, walked up to them and blew it in their face while they


    let out hysterical shrieks.


    But I was not done with them yet. Going behind them, I closed my hands around their necks, holding


    them trapped at my elbow joint with each hand and gritted my teeth before hurling them both to the


    side.


    They went flying on each side of me and fell to the ground with a thud, howling and screeching in pain.


    ¡°Crying suits you¡± I winked at the girl who was ring at me murderously.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    Zenovia


    Panting and wheezing for breath, I got back to the bench where Caroline whooped and jumped up and


    down.


    ¡°Damn you girl!!¡± She screamed loudly, making a few spectators look at


    I smiled at her despite the slight pain.


    Matteo came running to me and asked worriedly, ¡°ARe you okay?¡±


    I nodded while Caroline and a few others helped me walk back to the


    seat.


    ¡°Yeah, I am¡±


    Matteo took the first aid kit and ced it on the seat beside me.


    ¡°Sorry, I could not do much. They were not ying against the rules.¡± The earlier anger I had felt for


    him was now reced by relief. It was good that he never intervened.


    I had to learn to fight for myself and not always depend on others. I had been bullied and belittled all


    my life..


    So slow and baby steps to grow strong and gain confidence within myself and my abilities was the way


    to go forward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself about it¡± I answered as he pulled out the cotton and disinfectant to clean my


    wounds.


    ¡°Roll her sleeves up, please¡± He asked Caroline who promptly did that. But when she pulled up the


    sleeves, there was nothing on my skin.


    ¡°Oh, great, your wounds have already healed.¡±


    Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked at my arms and sure enough, there was no sign of any cuts or


    wounds.


    The only indication that I had ever been injured was the small kes of dried blood stuck to the inside


    of my sleeve.


    ¡°Ooh, your wolf already healed you¡± Caroline eximed and Matteo smiled at me.


    ¡°That means you don¡¯t need this anymore¡± He said, throwing the cotton


    away.


    ¡°Do you want to rest a bit more?¡± He asked, ¡°I can definitely do that¡±


    My gaze flicked to the other team members. They were all looking worn out already. Their hair ware


    sticking to the ends, their clothes crumpled and their expressions gloomy.


    I saw the bunch of girls who had attacked me, snatch the juice bottles from the boy who was


    distributing it to everybody.


    The other team members didn¡¯t even object as the girls took all the bottles for themselves and chugged


    down while snatching other refreshments that were brought over as well.


    I only shook my head as I walked in the arena.


    Matteo looked at the team B and asked, ¡°Since almost all of you fell down and your backs touched the


    ground, technically there is nobody to challenge her from team B. But if you want, I can give you guys


    onest chance before dering her as athe winner.¡±


    Matteo¡¯s loud voice rang through the entire arena.


    Caroline was prompt to add, ¡°She deserves the title of a winner. She never cheated or tried to sneakily


    take others out.¡±


    I looked at Caroline. She was timid and short but was brave to voice her opinion in front of the mean


    girls quite fearlessly.


    Pushing her ck hair behind her ear, she jutted her chin and stared at the leader of the mean girls


    who scowled at her.


    She raised her hand and waved at Matt to attract his attention.


    ¡°I would like to challenge her. We were going to have ast one on one battle so it is only fair that we


    follow it through.¡±


    Matt looked at her while folding his hands on his chest.


    ¡°That was if we yed fair¡±


    She opened her mouth to retort but did not say a thing. She knew beta Matteo was way off her limit to


    talk back to him.


    So she improvised and looked down at the ground.


    ¡°I mean if the audience wants to see it through the end, I am willing to fight onest time. It will be


    shameful to not even try.¡±


    She said and Matteo looked at me.


    I only shrugged, ¡°That is okay with me. We can have that onest match¡±


    The crowd too started cheering for us and Matt asked us to step in the


    ring after asking loudly if anybody had an objection.


    Nobody said a word so Matt motioned for both of us ot step into the ring.


    I looked back at my team that cheered for me while Matteo made me shake hands with my opponent.


    Wasting no time, I grabbed her hand that she had begun to pull away and tried to throw her over but


    she was quick.


    She bent down and thrust her leg out, making me stumble. I stopped\ myself from falling and pulled


    myself back again as she whirled us both around.


    I skittered a few steps but luckily due to the sand, I could stop myself from going any farther.


    Her leg came flying at me from the side, my ears prickled when the light breeze pped my left ear.


    I did not have time to hit her so I just ducked and her leg went straight horizontally that I grabbed and


    tried to pull her down.


    But she was smart and she pushed herself upon me. The impact almost made me touch the ground


    and I saw the referee kneel down on the ground to get a better look.


    But I had note this far to be defeated by a cheater. So, griting my teeth, I pulled up again and


    braced myself for the attack.


    ¡°My name is Be¡± She muttered, while thumping her fists like an angry gori. She was quite huge


    and bulkypared to me so her throws and punches hurt.


    It was great that I had Thunder with me who could help me recover from the pain and focus on


    counterattacks.


    ¡°Not so nice to meet you, Be¡± I offered that made her scoff.


    ¡°You have no idea who you are taking a fight with, do you?¡± She spoke and ran towards me and I only


    looked at her face again, wondering where had I seen her.


    ¡°You look familiar but then all bitches do¡± Thunder supplied and I was more than happy to say it out


    loud.


    Thunder did not like mean bullies but I was not quick with insults like her. My words angered Be even


    more as she blindly hurled a punch at


    me


    But this time I was ready. I ducked and grabbed her ponytail, pulled her close and put my hand across


    her neck, trapping her in my hold.


    ¡°Give up!¡± I yelled but Be onlyughed.


    ¡°Against you, no way!!¡±


    She said and dug her elbow in my stomach.


    I doubled back and skittered back a few steps but did not fall down. ¡°What have I even done to you? I


    dont even know who you are!¡±


    I said as she brought her leg close to my knee and drove it in my belly, exactly where her elbow had


    landed.


    ¡°Argh¡±


    I groaned as a fresh wave of pain hit me.


    ¡°Yeah, that is what you deserve. I am going to make your life hell¡±


    She said and ran towards me. I tried to get up on my feet and step away just in time as she came


    rushing towards me.


    ¡°Not if I do that first¡± I said and kicked the back of her knee as hard as I could while her back was


    turned to me.


    I knew that area pained the most when hit so I used that to my advantage. Of course, except kicking


    the balls that she definitely did not have.


    She went down on her knees as I heard her cry out in pain. Not wanting to waste time, I meant to


    shove her down on the ground but she pushed her leg to the side and made me lose my footing.


    My head almost smacked on her shoulder as she grabbed my face and her nails dug into my skin,


    making me wince in pain.


    ¡°She was right. You are a pain in the ass¡± Be muttered and I wondered who this ¡®she¡¯ was as I tried


    to fight the fresh wave of pain that invaded my senses.


    I felt warm blood trickle down my neck but I knew Thunder woul take care of it.


    So I got up but Be was faster. She used my trick against me, gathered a handful of sand and blew it


    in my face.


    I closed my eyes just in time to block the sand from getting in my eyes but missed on seeing her punch


    that hit me in the stomach again.


    This time, I did puke blood.


    ¡°She is injuring her lethally¡± I heard somebody¡¯s voice as I lost my bnce, while gripping my stomach


    as hard as I could.


    I saw the warm blood trickling down my face and this time Matteo intervened.


    He blew the whistle and shouted loudly.


    ¡°That is against the rules.¡±


    Be grunted, ¡°I did not injure her so bad that she would die!!¡±


    But Matteo shook his head, ¡°You will get a penalty. She gets a free hit and if she throws you down, you


    are defeated.¡±


    Her friends from the other side of the arena booed loudly but one look from him and they went silent


    pretty quickly.


    Be looked at me threateningly and muttered, ¡°You will pay for this¡± Somehow the way she said that


    made me look at her in surprise. I finally remmeered why she looked so familiar.


    Meanwhile, MAtteo just asked her to stand in the center of the arena and for me to stand a few feet


    away from her.


    I could kick, punch or do whatever I wanted to attack her and she only had to stay still and not fall


    down. She could not defend herself or attack


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    That made me smile.


    Matteo blew the whistle and signalled to me. ¡°Anytime you are ready¡± The crowd above expected me to


    run at her and bulldoze my way, using my strength to throw her off guard as she tned her foot firmly


    into the sand.


    But I had other ns.


    So I simply smiled and walked towards her, slowly, deliberately.


    She was confused and she only stared at me as I slowly reached her and stood in front of her.


    ¡°You are Amy¡¯s sister, aren¡¯t you. She too loves bullying others so no wonder you took that from her.¡±


    My words took her by shock as I circled her and stood in front of her once again.


    ¡°But you know what? I am not the same girl your sister bullied at the ball with her gang of friends. Pass


    on that message to her, will you?¡±


    I asked, making her only blurt out ¡®huh?¡±


    I smiled sweetly at her, raised my hand and drove a punch straight into her face.


    She had no time to react as she yelped and fell to the ground, unconscious.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    Zenovia


    Panting and wheezing, I tried not to slink down to the ground as the final whistle was blown and the


    end of the battle announced.


    There was an uproar in the arena, and I felt that the crowd erupted in a cheer, but I could only faintly


    hear it.


    It had only turned into white noise as I ced my hands on my knees. My breathing was ragged, and I


    felt that all the air in the world would not be enough to fill my lungs.


    I took in big breaths, my mouth wide open as I let the realization sink in. I, a nobody, someone who had


    been bullied all my life and looked down as a doormat¡­I won something.


    It didn¡¯t matter that it was not a real life battle, or that I had not killed my enemies¡­I had won a


    match..fair and square.


    Caroline came rushing towards me, patting my back and rubbing it as I struggled to breathe. Feeling


    her hands slink around me, I let myself finally loose, and she grabbed me, breaking my fall.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she muttered as I let my weight fall on her. Opening the lid of a bottle of water with one hand, she


    threw the lid aside and held it in front of my mouth while supporting me with the other hand as I


    completely leaned on her.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I weakly muttered as she smiled at me and replied.


    ¡°It is okay. Drink a little¡±


    My heart was still beating wildly and my mind was reying thest few moments of our spar in my


    head.


    How far someone would go to belittle others? My gaze flicked to Be, who was stomping her feet,


    clearly agitated by her loss.


    She and her gang of friends were staring at me. However, I noticed a difference in their gazes. While


    earlier there was in mockery in their expressions, now I saw a faint trace of respect and maybe even


    fear. They had considered me as a pushover earlier but now looked at me warily.


    That instilled a seed of confidence in me. Strength and willpower mattered. Cahan was reckless and


    would always push me to be


    10:19


    strong and tough, but now, when I participated in the trials for the first time, I could see the change in


    gazes and the bodynguage of almost everybody.


    Caroline held the bottle of water in front of me, and I took a sip or two. The juice was sweet and had a


    rich aroma to it.


    It was rich and invigorating and made me feel energized.


    ¡°Have it. You need your strength¡± She smiled, and I took a few more sips before coughing violently.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± She shrieked as I spilled the bottle almost entirely and gagged. Matteo came rushing to me


    with a concerned look. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much or too fast. Your body needs to cool down first¡±


    He said, helping me gently get up from the ground and pulling me up back on the bench.


    ¡°Congrats¡± His eyes twinkled with a smile.


    I smiled back at him. ¡°Thanks. I bet nobody expected me to win.¡±


    He shook his head while taking a towel from one of the helpers who hade running towards me to


    hand it over to me.


    Matteo held the towel in front of me and replied, ¡°It was an interesting match. I don¡¯t remember thest


    time when the crowd went so mad. You owned the arena.¡±


    I felt a small spark of happiness graze my insides when he said that.


    I could not even remember thest time I was praised for my efforts.


    ¡°We will take a small break now. Then you prepare for the award ceremony.¡±


    My eyes went wide at that. ¡°Award ceremony?¡±


    I asked, and he nodded his head. ¡°Yeah. Why else are trials held? To find a winner, right?¡±


    ¡°But¡­but I just wanted to participate. We don¡¯t have to have a ceremony.¡±


    I resisted, but Matteo only ruffled my hair and walked away to start the preparations. I only wanted to


    take out my anger and frustration of Cynthia at someone and I was done with it.


    I did not want any awards or anything.


    But Caroline rubbed my shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Come on. You won. You deserve a little praise. Plus,


    don¡¯t you want to be rewarded and apuded


    2


    10:19


    by the Lycan King himself?¡±


    She asked, and I realized I hadpletely forgotten about that part.


    Being under the watchful gazes of a thousand people was bad enough. But adding Cahan to the mix


    was terrifying.


    I did not know how to behave in front of him and every time he was around, I would either feel smitten


    by him or annoyed. There was no in between.


    My mind was muddled as she helped me walk towards the room we had been gathered inside earlier.


    I was limping a little as my legs and muscles had been pulled and bent at odd angles many times, but


    with her help, I managed to walk.


    ¡°Do you need some help with washing your face?¡± She asked,


    ¡°Yeah, for someone who just won a match, I am behaving like aplete loser¡±


    I joked at my expense, but she only shook her head.


    ¡°I know what it means to be ridiculed and bullied. So, no, you are not a loser.¡±


    Her line caught me off-guard. She looked like a sweet and innocent girl.


    ¡°What do you mean? Did somebody bully you back in your pack?¡± I asked, but she pretended to not


    hear it.


    She only helped me walk to the wash basin and turned on the tap while holding out the bar of soap for


    me.


    The cool water sshed over my face and I felt the heat go down a little. It also helped get rid of the


    sweat and muck sticking to my body.


    And I only looked at my reflection. My face looked puffed and swollen, a few red spots here and there.


    There were also minor cuts and scratches that my wolf, Thunder, had helped heal.


    But I guess, being a newly awakened wolf, even she had her limits.


    More than the award, I wanted to get a nice shower. That would be more rxing. And I also realized I


    had much more to learn and train.


    The group of girls had shown me that I was still weak and gullible. If I wanted to be a pack warrior, I


    had to be able to tackle them more swiftly.


    Qutside, I could hear the roars and cheers of the audience that had filled the stadium to the brim.


    3


    10:19


    Caroline walked out of the room to do something and I sat by the bench, slowly wiping the water off my


    neck.


    My left leg felt a little sprained, and I pulled up my socks to assess the damage.


    ¡°Hey,e on. We have to go.¡±


    Caroline called me, but I shook my head. Suddenly, I was feeling dizzy. ¡°No, I am not feeling well¡±


    I answered, but she only took it as a sign of my nervousness.


    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be shy and nervous now. You get to ask for your reward. Don¡¯t miss the chance.¡±


    She urged me and pulled me up from the bench.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But I was trying to shake off the feeling of unease in my body. There was an odd feeling in my chest


    that made me stagger a bit.


    I blinked rapidly, trying to fight the sudden dizziness overwhelming me as I stepped out of the door and


    in front of the spectators again.


    I had not even realized that it had gotten dark and the afternoon sun had been reced by the moon.


    Huge lights were shing all over the arena, making my eyes dazzle as I slowly made way towards the


    arena.


    There was a small stage set up on the side, and I gulped nervously. Cahan had not shown up


    through the entirety of the event, so I did not assume that he would make time for such a silly event


    now.


    And it was for the better. I would get more time to rx and calm down my heart. My head had made a


    few notes of the moves of the and I nned to ask Elijah or Cahan the way to tackle them¡­Elijah


    preferably.


    I went up the stage and stood by the side, hoping to get this over quickly with. I did not fancy meeting


    the Lycan King or demanding what I truly wanted from him in front of so many people.


    And I could not decide if it was for the better or worse, when I saw a familiar silhouette walk towards


    me.


    But then I blinked, and it was gone.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    Zenovia


    The lights of the arena suddenly shed before my eyes and all I could feel was dizziness wash over


    me for a second.


    I only faintly remembered Matteo rushing towards me and throwing me over his shoulder before


    depositing me on a stretcher.


    Caroline¡¯s sad and worried face as they took me away was thest thing I recalled before I nked out.


    The sun was shining through the windowpane and I felt the warmth on my skin. The light hurt my eyes,


    and I slowly turned my face away from the light to shield my eyes.


    I was exhausted. Beyond exhausted.


    Every single muscle in my body hurt and every single bone felt like it had cracked. My limbs were sore,


    my joints creaking, and my skin felt hot.


    I was sweating as if I had run a marathon. My throat was also parched. I tried to wake myself up, but


    my eyes did not want to open. They felt like they weighed a ton.


    But I forced my eyelids to flutter¡­to move¡­to do just about anything. After what felt like a monumental


    effort, I managed to lift my eyelids¡­barely.


    From the slit of my eyes, I tried to look around. I was not in a familiar ce. It was all in white and


    dull.


    I could vaguely make out the white curtain blowing in the soft breeze and the pale windows. My eyes


    slowly roamed through the space and then noticed a huge bulky frame sitting in a sharp contrast to the


    whites around me.


    My eyes tried to focus on the figure seated in front of me, and I noticed two yellow balls. No, not


    yellow¡­bright golden.


    Those were the eyes that would always rob me of my breath. Problem was that they were staring


    intently at me. Murderously, maybe.


    I could not think of anything else and panic made my eyes shut down and my back fall to the bed


    again.


    It did not take much time for me to fall asleep. The little effort had cost


    176


    10:19


    me a lot of energy. I was not sure when exactly it was that I woke up again.


    I twisted and turned in my bed, fisting my hands in the sheets as I felt my head would explode. A


    searing hot pain tore through my brain, traveling through all the nerves before reaching every single


    cell in my body.


    Fighting the pain was an effort I was not wiling to take. Lying down was easy. Letting my brain drift to


    oblivion easier.


    But just as I thought that, a voice spoke to me.


    ¡°I knew you would take the easy way out¡±


    The tone was filled with a hint of mockery and despite the pain, I found the urge to get up from my bed


    and smack the person.


    Problem was, I was too weak to even move.


    Trying my best to not let exhaustion wash over me again, I opened my eyes and pushed myself up on


    my elbows in a sitting position.


    ¡°Why is it so easy to rile you up?¡± He asked and I tried my best to ignore him. My mouth suddenly felt


    dry and rough, like sandpaper.


    I looked around for water and he seemed to have sensed it, for he slowly, purposefully got up from the


    chair and methodically reached for the jar of water ced on the bedside table.


    I heard the slow sound of water pouring in the ss as he handed it in front of me.


    Without a word, I grabbed the ss and swallowed it.


    ¡°Take it slow¡± He cautioned but my throat was burning as were my insides.


    ¡°More,¡± I croaked, and he held the water jar above my ss, but with unsteady hands I reached for the


    jar and put it straight to my lips. After drinking it all, and almost spilling a good amount on myself, I was


    done.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± He said in a disappointed voice and took the jar away from my hands as I wiped my


    mouth with the back of my sleeve.


    The water helped a little. Though my head was still hurting, I could look around with better rity.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Cahan replied, ¡°At a hospital. I don¡¯t need to tell you why, right?¡±


    10:20


    I ced my hands on my temples as another wave of pain coursed through my head. Memories came


    back to me in bits and pieces.


    Sand, arena, somebody holding and twisting my leg, a bit of blood, the huge light shining in my eyes.


    I had won the trials and probably passed out due to exhaustion.


    Cahan pulled the chair beside my bed and sat in front of me, looking me dead in the eye.


    ¡°I take it that you recalled what glorious adventure you set off on without my permission. And I don¡¯t


    think I have it in me to keep asking why you keep doing stuff I don¡¯t want you to. So, instead, I will ask,


    what do you want?¡±


    I blinked. His tone was bordering somewhere on being calm and angry, and I did not want to push my


    luck.


    ¡°Shower¡± I croaked.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked with a baffled look.


    ¡°Shower and food,¡± I said, and at that exact moment, my stomach rumbled loudly.


    Thunder decided to chime in. ¡°With him or without him?¡±


    I ignored her words and viciously buried the mental image of being with him in the shower. That was a


    fantasy I could delve intoter.


    I expected Cahan to grow angry, but instead a chuckle escaped his lips. The chuckle turned into full


    blownughter as he began howling, clutching his stomach with his hands.


    ¡°You want food¡­.this girl wants to shower¡­¡±


    He said, getting up from the chair and raking a hand through his hair. I looked up at him warily and


    hesitated to smile, but seeing himugh worked better than a tonic.


    That delicious mouth of his looked divine when heughed and his eyes crinkled at the sides when his


    smile reached his eyes.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I stared at him for a second, stupidly, until he banged a hand on the back of the chair, startling me.


    In a second, he turned around and was upon me. His face was inches from mine as he asked,


    ¡°Do you have any idea how risky it was for you yesterday?¡±


    Yesterday? I looked at him in confusion, and he nodded his head.


    376


    10:20


    ¡°Yes, yesterday. You were passed out for almost twelve hours. And you had not eaten anything before


    you decided to be a masochist and flung yourself in the arena.¡±


    ¡°But¡­I ate eggs¡­¡± I added meekly.


    ¡°What?¡± He yelled, and I ced a hand on my mouth.


    ¡°Answer me!!¡± He said, and I tried to answer again.


    ¡°I had breakfast. Eggs and bread,¡± I answered, and he stabbed a finger in the air as if he was punching


    someone.


    ¡°Eggs and bread?¡¯ The doctor told me you had eaten almost nothing for the entire day and yet you


    fucking trained for hours, then took on girls twice your size and weight and won the trials. What are


    you?¡±


    He looked at me curiously and I did not think ¡®A girl¡¯ would satisfy him


    as an answer.


    ¡°I¡­am your pack member,¡± I improvised.


    Somehow, the moment he showed up, my headache bid goodbye to me. Or maybe it was the


    happiness of seeing him so concerned about my well-being that made me feel nice.


    ¡°Yes. That you are. So you are supposed to listen to what I say. Not headbutt your way through the


    rules and procedures I have established just because you felt so.¡±


    He was simmering with rage and pacing through the room, his hands coiled in fists.


    ¡°I was in a very important meeting, so I had given specific instructions to my beta and gamma to keep


    an eye on you. But neither seemed to mind that you not just disrespected my word, but actively worked


    against it.


    ¡°They are not at fault. I asked Matteo about the rules. The trials were held for newly awakened and I


    am one.¡±


    Cahan rubbed his temple with his forefinger, snapping at me again,


    ¡°Yes, rules that you found a loophole from to show just how you don¡¯t respect me.


    ¡°Sorry¡± I meekly replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to always wriggle out with a sorry. No, I am done being lenient with you.¡±


    My eyes went to the badge that was ced on the bedside table. I was supposed to get a reward from


    him.


    Maybe this was my reward¡­getting yelled at by him.


    He noticed the way my eyes were staring at the badge and he pped his hands on his thighs.


    ¡°Well, now you want your reward. Go ahead, ask for it.¡±


    I tried to force back the tears that were threatening to show up. No way was I letting him get to me so


    easily.


    My eyes went to him again. He looked tired, sick even. There were fine lines of worry on his forehead


    and he looked extremely worked up.


    And then my gaze went to the chair where he had banged his knuckles on, a bit too hard.


    There was something red on it. Blood. His blood.


    But wasn¡¯t he supposed to heal very quickly?

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113


    Zenovia


    Cahan wiped his hand on the back of his trousers when he saw my gazend on his knuckles.


    I peered at him intently and, sure enough, he did look a bit more haggard and worked up. He was still


    in his work clothes, his full sleeves rolled up and the top two buttons of his shirt open. His hair was


    tousled, and I^ imagined how many times he must have raked his hands through them. He had a habit


    of doing that whenever he was annoyed or worked up.


    But the injury was new. Even my injuries, despite being a newly awakened werewolf, had healed pretty


    easily. There were just a few scars left.


    So it was a wonder that his knuckles still looked a bit bloodied.


    Cahan noticed the way I was thinking about it and cleared his throat. ¡°I asked, what is it that you


    want?¡±


    I looked at his face and tried to speak. ¡°Would you really give it to me?¡± Cahan shrugged. ¡°Depends


    on what you ask.¡±


    I added, ¡°The trials only say that you are allowed to ask something to the Lycan King directly. There is


    no mention of whether the King would really give whatever is asked.¡±


    He gave me a small smile. ¡°Were you always this intelligent or this Thunder working her magic?¡±


    Thunder let out a whoop in my head the moment she heard him call her smart. But I asked her to rest


    or that I would make us train harder again.


    tomorrow.


    She was in no mood for that, so she thankfully went quiet.


    ¡°That is not the answer, your majesty,¡± I replied, and he debated what to say in response. I shook my


    head and slowly tried to get up on my feet. Thunder could heal my wounds to an extent, but exhaustion


    was not something she could make disappear right now.


    I gingerly moved my legs to the bedside and slowly tried cing my feet on the hospital floor. It was


    cold, and I felt an involuntary shudder creep up my spine the moment my skin came in touch with the


    cold floor.


    10:54


    ¡°You are not strong yet,¡± Cahan said, but I still tried to put some weight on my feet. And the moment I


    let go of the bed for support, I swayed a little.


    Cahan was quick to rush towards me and break my fall.


    ¡°If you want me to just be near you, say that directly,¡± He scoffed, and I pushed my hair away from my


    eyes while he plopped me back on the bed.


    ¡°Twelve hours you said?¡±


    Cahan nodded. ¡°You were not trained for the trials. And I heard the opposing team was a bit fierce


    with all the hair catching and leg pulling.¡±


    ¡°A little. Maybe,¡± I answered.


    ¡°I did not expect you tost until the end, much less win?


    Cahan added after I went silent. That was all the praise I would receive from him, I guess.


    ¡°But then I did not expect you to leave the mansion and show up at the arena either¡±


    And there he was, back to snapping at me again.


    But I ignored his attempts to distract me.


    ¡°The award. I have decided what I want from you,¡± I said, making him look up at me again.


    Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in¡±


    A head peeked in through the door and I saw a nurse look inside warily.


    ¡°Sorry to disturb, your majesty. But I am here for the rounds.¡±


    Cahan waved his hand, ¡°Check her¡±


    The nurse checked my pulse and asked me to open my mouth, shone a torch on my eyes and turned


    my head left and right.


    She scribbled something on her notepad and turned to Cahan. ¡°Participating trials on an empty


    stomach after training for hours caused


    her to pass out. Her wolf helped and adrenaline kept her running.¡± ¡°Hey, I am right here,¡± I grumbled


    when she spoke to him instead of telling me how I was.


    ¡°How long before she is fine to leave?¡± He asked.


    ¡°She can leave even now, but then she has to keep a watch on her diet- and workout less for a week or


    so.¡±


    10:341


    ¡°Hmm that can be arranged,¡± He said, looking at me pointedly.


    ¡°She will leave right away then,¡± Chan said after studying through the report.


    While he was flicking through the page, my gaze went to his knuckles.


    They were still bloodied, and the injury hadn¡¯tpletely healed. The blood had stopped oozing out of


    his injuries, but it had not turned into a thin white scar.


    It was still red.


    He walked towards the door as the doctor arrived and began talking to him. Meanwhile, the nurse


    came towards me to help me change into my clothes.


    It was only now that I realized they had put me back into one of those oversized hospital gowns. She


    carried my bag towards me and said, ¡°Let me help you change¡±


    But I shook my head.


    I was not sure if she had seen the mark on my bum and the way it traveled down my thigh, but she had


    notmented on it and I did not want to give her any chance to talk about it.


    It was an unusual ce to get a mark, and I did not want anybody questioning why I had it or who had


    marked me.


    ¡°No, it is okay, I will change on my own¡±


    I said to the nurse, who nodded and left. From outside, I could still hear Cahan and the doctor talking


    about something.


    I grabbed my bag and quickly went into the adjoining bathroom. It was just adjacent to the entrance, so


    while I struggled with putting on my tight t-shirt and track pants on, I heard Cahan and the doctor


    whisper. ¡°But it is supposed to work¡­¡± I heard the doctor¡¯s worried voice.


    Cahan responded, ¡°I guess I will just keep trying.¡±


    ¡°But the infection would spread¡­¡±


    Cahan shushed him. ¡°Keep your voice down¡±


    ¡°Apologies, your highness. You should go home and rest now¡±


    Infection? Was he sick?


    I heard footsteps of them leaving and then focussed on putting on my clothes again. It was hard given


    that my feet could not bend a lot and I


    10.341


    had packed all the tight clothes for the trial.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    I blew air out of my mouth, exasperatedly.


    I somehow managed to put on my innerwear, but the rest of it was pure torture, so I simply put on the


    hospital gown again.


    The nurse was back to help me walk towards the car parking.


    I leaned on her for support as she helped me get to the entrance. The car parking was just a few


    meters away, but I could already feel a little sprain in my ankle.


    But then I felt two arms go around my side and pluck me off the ground.


    I gave a startled cry as I felt the familiar musky scent of the Lycan King invade my senses.


    His hands went around me and I gasped as I felt his fingers brush upon the fabric of the gown. The


    static charge made me feel goosebumps as he held me in his arms.


    ¡°You will take forever to reach the car and I don¡¯t n to waste my time waiting for you¡±


    Cahan said as I tried to not focus on how his hand was resting on the underside of my thigh. He put


    me in the car as the scent of his cologne hit me.


    The drive home was quiet, like usual. But Cahan was apparently still angry at me. The way he


    gripped the steering wheel and the way his veins were popping out told me it was a bad idea to try to


    indulge in a conversation right now.


    My gaze drifted to his knuckles again. They were still blotched, but only now did I notice that it was not


    just his knuckles that were injured.


    He was wearing a lot more cologne than usual. It was overpowering the smell of something else.


    Blood.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    Zenovia


    The Lycan King drove the car a bit faster than usual and we were outside the mansion gate in no time.


    The guards opened the gate promptly, and we were inside the garage in no time. The car swiftly made


    its way inside, and Cahan turned the ignition off.


    When he stepped out of the car, I noticed the way he winced a little when his abdomen hit the door of


    the car.


    But his expression returned to normal in an instant. His hand just brushed the fabric of his shirt and I


    noticed something I hadn¡¯t seen earlier.


    Were those blood stains¡­??


    He was wearing a dark colored shirt, so it wasn¡¯t clearly visible, but now as the light glinted on it; I saw


    dried blood.


    And a glimpse of a bandage.


    Why was he bandaged? Just what had happened to him?


    I looked at him as he began to walk away without a word. His hand went towards his abdomen again


    and I noticed that he was definitely limping.


    He was hurt. Opening the car, I hurried towards him as he slowly made his way towards the stairs.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± I asked, but he only replied gruffly.


    ¡°Go rest¡±


    ¡°No, you look hurt. Please tell me what happened.¡± I insisted, but he raised his voice, ¡°Zenovia, I asked


    you to go and rest, so you better do that.¡±


    He took my full name. He either never took my name or called me Zee.


    So him calling be my full name meant he was angry.


    I bit my lower lip and stayed glued to my spot as he continued limping towards the stairs. He had barely


    taken two steps when I saw him sway.


    ¡°Cahan..¡± I called out, but then he slumped down.


    And I was beside him in an instant, trying to break his fall.


    10:3511


    I was amazed by my reflexes and how easily I was beside him in the blink of an eye. And he definitely


    weighed a lot.


    ¡°Cahan, are you okay?¡± I asked, but he did not answer.


    He had passed out. And I struggled to bear his weight. Cahan must be twice my weight or he ate


    bricks and wolves for food, because despite my wolf¡¯s strength, I was finding it hard to drag him


    upstairs.


    I tried throwing one of his hands on my shoulders and pushing him up with me, but my knees started to


    wobble just after a few steps.


    ¡°Help! Is anybody around?¡± I asked aloud.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The pce was mostly quiet, and my voice echoed through the vast space. I hoped somebody would


    hear me.


    ¡°I need help¡± I shouted again, and I heard the hurried footsteps of a few servants. And with them came


    Elijah.


    I looked at him with relief. ¡°Elijah, help¡±


    He did not ask what was going on and straightaway helped me carry Cahan to his room. The


    servants hastily went ahead, threw the doors open and began making the bed.


    Elijah and the servants helped carry Cahan to bed while I hovered at the entrance of the room.


    I had never set foot in the Lycan King¡¯s room before. I had not even passed by it before because I did


    not want him to think I was following him everywhere.


    The servants threw the curtains open, along with a few windows to let the soft breeze in. I did not know


    what I had expected to see in his room when I stepped inside.


    Maybe, I expected a huge chandelier, lots of exquisite furniture, plush sofas, etc.


    But the room was as simple as it could be. There was just a huge bed, two bedside tables, a wardrobe


    and a work space on the side.


    The room was nothing like I would expect the Lycan King¡¯s personal space to be. It was a huge


    contrast to the rest of the mansion. Even my room seemed grand inparison.


    ¡°Hey, where are you lost?¡±


    Elijah called out to me, dragging me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Nothing¡± I shook my head and walked in.


    276


    10:35


    Elijah ced a hand on Cahan¡¯s forehead. ¡°He is burning¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°He wasn¡¯t until a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Quick, take off his shoes¡±


    He said, and I did as instructed. His feet were very hot, too. He had begun


    to sweat.


    I gently took off the shoes and socks and began rubbing his feet, trying to let blood circte and


    regte his body temperature.


    Elijah looked at me and asked, ¡°Can you tell me what exactly happened to him?¡±


    I pushed the hair behind my face. ¡°Nothing, he was just climbing the stairs and then he kind of passed


    out.¡±


    Elijah gave me a grim look.


    ¡°Stay by his side. I will get Drusi.¡±


    I turned around in confusion as he ran outside the room. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean the pack doctor?¡±


    ¡°No, just don¡¯t give him any medicines or try to heal him the human


    way¡­


    ¡°What do you mean? He is hot like a furnace and I also think I saw blood earlier. He needs medicines¡­


    Elijah shook his head. ¡°This is beyond medicine. Just do as I say, please. I will go get Drusi. And


    whatever happens, don¡¯t let him out of your sight.¡±


    ¡°What is going on? Where would he go in this state?¡± I asked. The more Elijah spoke, the more bizarre


    the situation sounded to me.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t let him. Please.¡± He begged, and I had never heard him so flustered or begging.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can restrain him¡­he is the Lycan King, for Goddess¡¯ sake¡±


    I was mumbling in confusion. But Elijah simply grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eye.


    ¡°I have to get Drusi. Trust me, I would have not let you alone in such a situation, but if we want to


    tame him, she is our best shot. Please don¡¯t let him go outside the room.¡±


    His words were filled with worry, but I could only ask aloud, ¡°What do you mean, tame him?¡±


    Elijah opened his mouth to say something but thought better and walked out without another word.


    That only left me in the room with Cahan. Elijah had already


    dismissed the servants. And for a confused second, I just sat by the Lycan King¡¯s bedside.


    His hair was a bit unruly and sticking to his temples as sweat glistened on his skin. He was


    unconscious, and I felt like a creep for staring at him, but then looking at him when he was awake was


    like staring at an angry beast.


    If he did not sport his usual arrogant expression, he looked quite¡­.cute. There were fine lines on his


    forehead and I saw him wince a little again. He was in pain.


    My gaze went to the door, but there was no sign of Elijah, so I got up and slowly reached for his shirt.


    It was almost sticking to his skin, and he was sweating profusely, so I guessed he wouldn¡¯t mind if I


    took his shirt off.


    My hands hovered over the buttons and I wondered if I should do it, but then he twitched in his sleep


    and I saw blood blossom over the shirt.


    Wasting no time, I unbuttoned his shirt and slowly opened it. Underneath, I saw that his torso was


    bandaged.


    And also that there were injury marks on his abdomen from which blood was oozing out. He was not


    just sick, but very injured.


    But why was he not healing? Even werewolves could heal their injuries to some extent, and he was the


    Lycan King. He was not supposed to have so much blood or wounds on him.


    Where had he been exactly gone while I was participating in the trials? Had somebody attacked him?


    Maybe the rogue king or his minions? Cahan twitched, and I could not help but ce my hand on his


    forehead to caress him. His skin was hot to the touch, and he was in pain. And he had not said a word


    to me about his injuries or even let me realize that he was so badly hurt. He had simply yelled at me for


    being reckless. And despite being injured himself, brought me home and cared for my safety in his odd


    way.


    I could not help but feel a little guilty about the way I had snapped at him earlier. My hand slowly went


    toward his other hand and I intertwined our fingers as I sat close to him, hoping that Elijah would arrive


    soon.


    Suddenly, I felt Cahan¡¯s grip tighten on my hand. I had been holding onto him with one hand and


    caressing his forehead with the other when his eyes suddenly flew open.


    ¡°Cahan..are you oka-¡±


    I asked, but before I couldplete my sentence, he suddenly snapped his head to look at me angrily.


    And his eyes were not golden orbs anymore. They were slowly turning red, a dark shade of crimson.


    Cahan let out a growl that terrified the shit out of me. I stumbled back as he growled like a hungry


    predator and I began pacing backward until my back hit the wall.


    I tried to scream, but I was beyond afraid of the sight in front of me. Cahan did not look like the


    arrogant and cocky monster. He had a sinister look to him as he jumped down on the floor and began


    walking towards me, stealthily, like a predator stalks a prey.


    My throat dried, and I looked around for an exit. I should have run away, but somehow I recalled what


    Elijah had said to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him out of your sight¡±


    Maybe I was stupid, or I had a death wish, but I ran towards the door, not to run outside, but close it¡­


    with me inside¡­trapped with a monster.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    Zenovia


    Cahan threw the vases and furniture around as I closed the door and looked for something to hide


    behind. The problem was that the room had barely any furniture except the necessities.


    Cahan was growling, and he went towards the door, but I tried to attract his attention towards me.


    There were a lot of servants and maids in the mansion. I hoped nobody woulde here looking for


    the cause of all the ruckus.


    ¡°Cahan,¡± I screamed when he punched at the doors and crawled at them in an effort to get out. He


    was ignoring me and there was something wild about him, feral even.


    He was filled with uncontroble rage¡­as if something had flipped a switch off inside him. He did not


    look human from any angle.


    And then he grew even more angrier and began thrashing violently. His hands thudded loudly against


    the door, pounding on it.


    I put my hands on my ears to drown out the noise while peering at him with a mixture of worry and


    horror.


    I had always seen him calm andposed, always in control, not in such a maniacal frenzy.


    He twitched and thrashed and I saw the way some fur sprouted on his back all of a sudden. His bones


    snapped and creaked horribly as his hands transformed into ws¡­ partially.


    It was as if his Lycan was trying to break out, and he was fighting it. He was thrashing violently as his


    Lycan¡¯s wild instincts were trying to take over and overwhelm him.


    I went deathly still when I saw him half transformed; the ws protruding out of his hands and


    disappearing as he fought an internal battle.


    I stayed deadly silent and even put a hand on my mouth as I saw him struggle. The sounds he was


    making¡­ were vicious and enough to make a shiver run down my spine.


    Suddenly, I was wondering if being trapped with him here in this room was a smart idea. I looked


    around to find something to hide behind or defend myself with. My gazended on an iron rod kept


    behind the wardrobe.


    I slowly inched towards it as Cahan fought his Lycan. He had probably forgotten I was around. So I


    took that chance to slowly make my way towards the only weapon I could find.


    Cahan had his hands on his head, holding it as he groaned in pain and fell on the floor with a thud


    when his knees gave under him.


    I took one step at a time and my fingers brushed against the rod¡¯s surface when I noticed that the


    growling had suddenly stopped.


    The room had gone eerily silent. Confused and afraid, I looked around, but Cahan was nowhere to


    be seen.


    But he was right here, and the door was closed too. My eyes went towards the windows.


    One of the servants had partially opened it to let air inside.


    What if he had escaped through the window in such a state?


    What if he hurt himself?


    He was not in the right frame of mind. I slowly grabbed the rod and made my way towards the window


    that was on the opposite side of the room.


    The bed was in front of me, and the windowpane was creaking while it swayed in the wind.


    Trying to steady my nerves, I made my way towards the bed, fearing that he was crouched on all fours


    beside it.


    But when I slowly crossed the length of the bed, I saw that the floor was empty too.


    ¡®Where did he go?¡® I wondered and turned my head to either side to look for him.


    I had almost reached the window when I suddenly felt something brush my ankle. Turning around


    wildly, I brandished the rod in front of me defensively.


    But there was nothing.


    ¡°C¨CCal¨CCahan? Please don¡¯t do this.¡± I said out loud, hoping to reach the humanity inside him.


    And then suddenly something sprang out from under the bed and grabbed me by the shoulders.


    The rod fell from my hands as I felt two massive hands push me to the wall.


    Up close, I saw his face. But there was nothing human about him. He looked as if he was possessed.


    His golden eyes were now a rich shade of crimson and there were long ck ws growing out of his


    fingers.


    The ws glinted in the flickering light of the nightmp that he had smashed to the ground. He was


    still hot to the touch, but his face and arms were devoid of fur.


    ¡°Cahan, please stop. You are hurting me.¡± I said between tears as his face was close to mine.


    He let out a growl, and I tried again, somehow my wolf feeding me with courage when I should have


    passed out from fear.


    ¡°You are not your Lycan. Fight it. You are Cahan. You are human. A strong and powerful one. You


    can do it¡±


    I said and I saw him stare at me in confusion. The crimson in his eyes slowly faded. His entire eye


    looked blood red except for the ck dot in the centre. The veins and the white inside his eyes had all


    turned crimson.


    But he shook his head when my words reached him and I saw the crimson color retreat. A faint flicker


    of golden shone in his eyes while sweat was still glistening on his face.


    ¡°Please, I know you can hear me. You are my Lycan King, not the angry monster I am seeing right now.


    Give him back to me.¡±


    I said with much more resolve and firmness in my voice.


    His expressions changed and he stopped growling. The canines that had protruded out of his mouth


    and sliced his lips seemed to retreat back too.


    ¡°Go away¡± I heard his voice, his normal voice as he released me and pushed me aside.


    He was panting hard, and in all the thrashing and yelling, the wounds had reopened themselves to


    some extent because blood was flowing down, soaking the bandagespletely.


    I should have run away just like he said. But he was fighting so hard to regain control of his body and


    badly injured. I could not leave him alone in such a state. Plus, Elijah had asked me to not let him out of


    sight.


    So that is what I was doing.


    Ignoring his words, I bent down and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off his face.


    ¡°Shh, you are going to be okay. El went to bring Dru.¡±


    At that, Chan looked up at me, ¡°What did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°Just that he was going to get her and to not let you out of my sight¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    cing one hand on his bleeding wound, he shook his head and tried to position himself to lean by the


    bedpost.


    ¡°You listen to me. When I ask you to go, you go.¡± He said and winced again as fresh blood oozed out


    when he tried to sit up.


    ¡°Wait, let me help you¡± I said and tried to help him sitfortably. I had never seen him so weak, so


    fragile.


    Despite his weak protests, I helped him sit up as he continued to take ragged breaths.


    ¡°I¡­I am not in control, Zee. Go. Please go¡± He said but I only wiped the sweat off his torso and looked


    for a new towel to hold onto the wound.


    ¡°Press this¡± I said, taking a towel out of the wardrobe while checking his temperature.


    It had reduced a little. He was not burning like a furnace anymore.


    But he was still injured. He took the towel from my hand and pressed it against the injury.


    ¡°How did you get that?¡± I asked and he answered while taking deep, ragged breaths.


    His voice sounded raspy and


    ¡°Just an ident. But please, go¡­I can hurt you.¡±


    I looked him in the eye and replied, ¡°You won¡¯t¡±


    For a moment, he just kept staring at me and I saw the way the red in his eyespletely disappeared


    and he looked human again.


    Almost human.


    ¡°How do you know I wont?¡± He asked and I wondered about the answer.


    I did not know that for sure. I had seen him kill rogues as if they were flies and flung them around like


    deadweights.


    ¡°I just¡­know¡±


    I smiled at him to which he replied, ¡°You don¡¯t know everything¡±


    Before I knew what was going on, he picked me up from the floor, dropped me out of the room and


    closed the door from inside.


    ¡°No wait, Cal¡­don¡¯t do this¡±


    I said and banged on the door but I heard the unmistakable sound of growling and ws scarping the


    wood of the door again.


    ¡°No, Cal, please, open the door¡± I begged and pleaded but I continued to hear the table and chair


    smashing on the floor.


    Worried, I hastily dug out my phone and dialed Elijah, ¡°Where the hell are you?¡±


    I was panicked and afraid¡­ afraid that¡­ Cahan would hurt himself¡­not that he would hurt others or


    hurt me.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Zenovia


    I was so flustered that I did not even realize that my phone¡¯s battery died down. It was already low, and


    I had nned to charge it but forgot.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered to myself as I heard the unmistakable scraping sound of nails digging into the door.


    Subconsciously, I stepped back as I felt a massive fist pounding on the door. I saw a faint crack through


    the door¡¯s wood and sensed that it would not hold for long. I looked around and spotted Maria rubbing


    her eyes anding out of the servant¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± she asked and I ran towards her.


    ¡°Nothing. Just go inside. Lock the doors and instruct everybody that none of them shoulde out,


    even if they hear loud banging or snarling noises.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her eyes grew wide.


    ¡°What happened? Are we under an attack?¡±


    ¡°Not really. My¡­my wolf is having some trouble. I am finding it hard to control myself and I feel that I


    would identally hurt someone which I don¡¯t want.¡±


    Maria looked at me kindly, ¡°Oh, there is no need to worry. Do you need some tea or coffee, perhaps to


    calm your nerves?¡±


    ¡°Noo!!¡±


    Only thisdy could alwayse up with food as the solution to whatever problems were urring


    around her.


    ¡°Just go and do as I say. Please. My wolf is going crazy in my head.¡± I urged, but Maria shook her


    head.


    ¡°I saw youst time. It is okay¡­¡±


    I got annoyed and lowered my head, letting out a guttural voice from my mouth. It sounded like a mix of


    roar and growl.


    She subconsciously stepped back as I tried my best to look like I was shifting out of nowhere.


    Looking up at her, I bared/my teeth and hissed at her. She let out a startled cry and ran inside her


    room.,


    ¡°Sorry Maria,¡± I mumbled to myself and turned back around, sprinting up through the stairs as fast as I


    could.


    The fist rammed in through the door again and a small hole formed in the door through which I saw the


    face of a Lycan.


    I had seen him in his Lycan form. Thunder and I had run with him in the forest.


    09-55


    But this was a totally different monster that I could see.


    I saw the crimson eyes glinting malevolently as a snarl escaped his lips.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered and sprinted down the stairs as the doors flew open and Cahan, or his Lycan,


    Beast, began chasing me.


    My human strength was no match for him. I tried running, but Beast was faster, way faster. He was


    running on two legs while his hands kept trying to snatch at


    1.


    ¡°Give control to me¡± Thunder screamed, ¡°Now!¡±


    I did not have to think twice. I nodded and the moment I jumped up; she took charge of our safety and I


    shifted mid air.


    I had jumped on two legs butnded on four. A roar left Beast¡¯s mouth as he kept chasing me. I tore


    through the main door and kept running outside through the huge front yard with Beast hot on my


    heels.


    Luckily, there was no servant or house help around, or they would have gotten torn to shreds.


    My eyes tried to think of somewhere to go. I had to calm him down like before. I could not shift back in


    my human form and neither could I let him escape outside the mansion walls.


    The forest outside was filled with rogues and they could attack him at any


    moment.


    Again, I noted, I was more worried about his safety than the carnage he could cause. I only prayed to


    the Moon Goddess that she would find me a way until Dru arrives.


    Just what was taking them so long?


    I had to tire him out and y a game of cat and mouse until he grew too exhausted to chase me.


    Maybe then I could talk some sense into him again. My mind could not think of any other way. So, I ran


    through the bushes in at zigzag motion, staying in his sight but trying my best to not get caught in his


    ws.


    Those ws were oozing with blood. His hands probably had gotten injured while he angrily scraped at


    the walls and doors.


    But there was no time to check on him. He had gone utterly wild. Thus, I jumped up and down, sliding


    through the narrow gaps and running around like a bait for him to catch.


    I could hear his angry snarls and the smashing of vases and other furniture kept all around the front


    and backyard.


    My heart was in my throat as I kept trying to avoid him and his ws. My feet began to hurt and despite


    Thunder¡¯s speed, we were beginning to slow down. This was not good.


    Just as Ipleted yet another loop of dashing through the open garden, mynded on the gate and I


    heard the sound of tires.


    feet


    Elijah and Drusi were finally here. Hope filled my heart as I tried to distract Beast. He could tear the


    gates open and throw the car upside down in an instant, potentially injuring them severely.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    So, despite the growing ache in my bones and exhaustion, I dashed to the other side just as Elijah


    drove in the car.


    I could only see the faint lights of the car driving in and prayed that they had a solution to stop Beast


    from goingpletely berserk.


    I was not paying attention to the front and smacked myself hard upon a pir. The impact sent me


    skittering to the nearest wall, and I collided with it.


    My paws raked in through the grass, trying to find something to hold on to, but by the time I did, Beast


    was upon me. I was cornered, there was no way to get out. His eyes had gone a pale shade of red and


    I tried to push back, but there was a solid wall behind me.


    ¡°Thunder, fuck get out of here¡± I yelled at her. I was petrified.


    She did not reply as she was busy dealing with Beast who wanted to snap our neck in one go.


    His hand rose up, and the w was just about to sh at us when a streak of fur jumped up from the


    side, catching Beast off-guard.


    A werewolf had shown up out of nowhere. And he had sunk in his teeth inside Beast¡¯s hand with his


    jaws locked on the hand firmly.


    Beast waved his hand hard and tried to throw the werewolf off, but the werewolf was holding onto his


    hand with a death grip.


    That werewolf could only be one person- Elijah.


    I should have run away, but I saw the way Beast was thrashing around. Elijah was getting tossed


    around like a rag doll in an attempt to save me. I could not let him get killed just to save myself.


    So I jumped up and caught Beast¡¯s other hand, locking my jaws in ce. Like Elijah, I was getting


    thrashed around too, but slowly, I saw Beast starting to slow down.


    He was getting tired and exhausted. Apparently, the high energy and rage did notst for long.


    Beast let out an angry growl and turned around in a circle with his hands raised high. Up in the air, we


    could not do much except cling to his hand.


    I tasted blood as my teeth sunk in through his fur. It looked like I and Elijah were going to get thrown on


    the wall.


    But before that could happen, Drusi raised her hand and threw water on Beast. Or that was what it


    looked like.


    Beast staggered back and his hands went limp as the water sizzled and crackled


    like live wire. Beast¡¯s hold on us loosened as we both fell out of his hands and he fell into the bushes,


    passing out after almost an hour of fanatic frenzy.


    Thunder had grown extremely tired, too. Thus, I was not even aware when darkness consumed me


    and when my vision tunneled.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    Zenovia


    A light breeze caressed my cheek, making an idle strand of hair tickle my nose. I was in a deep sleep,


    but that somehow woke me up as the breeze kept my hair flying in my face.


    My eyelids fluttered as I saw dots of yellow and orange flicker around in the air. My eyes swam into


    focus to realize that it was the sunrays filtering in through the windowpane.


    It was nearing sunset, it seemed, as I slowly crouched up when I felt my throat go dry. It was rough as


    sandpaper and I wanted to drink some water from the bedside pitcher.


    But moving was an effort. My bones seemed like they had turned to liquid fire and my muscles.


    With trembling hands, I reached for the pitcher and tried to pour myself a bit of water. I clumsily spilled


    the water on the sheets but managed to get some inside the ss.


    After drinking the water a bit, I felt my throat was notpletely dry, but I was still thirsty. So I simply


    took the pitcher and put the tip of it to my mouth, drinking like an animal.


    After my thirst was quenched, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and looked around. I was


    wearing a long nightgown and was in my bed.


    Who put me here? I looked down at my hands and felt my skin, but there were no visible wounds or


    injuries. But my body felt extremely sore.


    -I kept trying to move as I slowly pulled the sheets away and moved my legs to ce them down on the


    floor.


    In that effort, I clumsily dropped the ss on the floor that crashed into pieces the moment it touched


    the floor.


    Wincing, I pushed my feet inside the slippers and the doors opened, revealing Maria¡¯s kind face.


    ¡°Oh, you are up? That is great to know. I just have the right thing for you.¡±


    She said as I tried to take a step forward in her direction, but stumbled and grabbed the bedpost for


    support.


    Maria clicked her tongue reproachfully, ¡°Tsk tsk. You are not supposed to start running around the


    moment you wake up.¡±


    She said as my knees buckled and I plopped on the bed again.


    ¡°This is a special medicine that I often prepare after werewolf fights or pack wars. It should help you


    recover quickly.¡±


    Maria said, holding a tall ss in front of me. It was filled with some greenish brown liquid and smelled


    of strong herbs.


    I wrinkled my nose, but she insisted that I should drink it. ¡°Where is Cal-, I mean the Lycan King?¡±


    I asked, while reluctantly taking the ss from her.


    ¡°He is busy, and he specifically asked me to look after you.¡±


    ¡°You mean he asked you to keep me away from him.¡± I deadpanned.


    Maria pursed her lips and replied, ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what exactly happened yesterday as I was busy


    trying to keep the servants inside the quarters. But since early morning, everybody is busy restoring the


    outdoors, and I was tasked to look after you.¡±


    I took a sip and looked at her eagerly. ¡°But did you see him? Is he okay? Was he injured?¡±


    Maria saw the concern in my voice and I saw the way her shoulders sagged.


    ¡°He looks in bad shape. The curse¡­I guess it is slowly taking hold of him, right?¡±


    I made a grim face. She caught my lie easily yesterday.


    ¡°Look child, I have been with werewolves all my life, so I do not feel threatened by them. But you have


    injured yourself way too many times and¡­and it is not safe for you with the Rogue King running behind


    you. Maybe you should just leave the castle and start living in the human city.


    I ced the ss on the side table and looked at her pointedly.


    ¡°I bet he told you to tell me that as well.¡±


    Maria grew flustered, but I only grew annoyed with the way he was trying to avoid me. Even yesterday,


    he kept pushing me away and now he was asking Maria to babysit me.


    I was not going to let that happen.


    So, I lifted the ss, swallowed the contents in one go and ced it back on the side table with a thud.


    ¡°I am a werewolf, Maria. So it would be better if you don¡¯t try to stop me.¡±


    Maria shook her head and repeated, ¡°A werewolf under control is a beast, but a Lycan that has lost his


    control is truly a monster. Choose wisely.¡±


    I did not care. Cahan had been there for me when nobody was. I was not an ungrateful person to


    turn my back on him if I could do anything to help him.


    Thus, I stepped to the side and then made my way outside the room. I did not have to wonder where


    he could be. My feet automatically went towards his office.


    I expected someone to be outside it and standing guard, but there was nobody.


    ¡®Even better, I thought and stormed inside the door.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± I shouted. But there was nobody to answer.


    The office was empty. If he was not working, where else could he be?


    After a split second, I recalled one more thing that would make him slog and sweat until he passed out.


    I climbed down the stairs and headed towards the huge gym where he had trained me until I would be


    out of breath.


    The gym door was open, and I slowly stepped inside, roaming my eyes all over the huge space. And


    there he was, at the far end of the gym, working hard.


    He was wearing a blue vest and ck shorts. I could only stare at his muscles as he lifted the weights


    effortlessly, repeating one set after another without breaking in sweat.


    His back was turned to me, so I took a moment to admire his physique. He was built of pure muscle


    and he was overexerting himself, almost as if he had a death wish. walked in and slowly approached


    him as he grunted and added more weight to the rod.


    He did not give any indication that he had noticed my prese. And he looked very angry, pissed even.


    And somehow my stupid mind thought that it made him look even hotter.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked without looking at me and I answered, ¡°I came to talk to you.¡±


    He ced the weights on the floor and went towards another machine and began doingteral pull


    backs.


    ¡°Leave,¡± He said in a curt voice, but I was only focused on the way he was straining himself, more than


    he should have.


    I went to stand in front of him, looking at him through the gaps in the huge machine.


    ¡°Please stop hurting yourself,¡± I said, but he was in no mood to listen to me.


    ¡°Right now, you are hurting me, so just go.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I said, jutting my chin up. At that, he looked at me, really looked at me.


    Those golden eyes turned their attention on me and I recalled the way they had shone a rich shade of


    crimsonst night.


    Last night he had looked like a deadly predator, but now, the gaze he threw at me was raunchy and


    made my knees turn to jelly.


    He let go of the bars and walked towards me as I subconsciously took a step back.


    ¡°In fact, I would suggest you not just leave the gym, but also the mansion and my life. You can go


    anywhere you want.¡±


    He said, but I could hear the way his breathing was ragged and see the way his veins bulged.


    ¡°But you-¡±


    I began, but he mmed his hand on the wall, hard.


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, Zenovia. Why can¡¯t you listen to me when I tell you to do something?¡±


    I shut my eyes, fearing that he was going to attack me, but his hand ended on the wall beside me.


    ¡°Because I saw you at your lowest yesterday. And I can¡¯t leave you like that.¡±


    ¡°I am a monster, Zenovia. I am turning feral. Nothing on this can save me.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t say that¡± My lower lip trembled with the effort to keep my voice still, but he was making it so


    hard.


    ¡°Did you not see it yesterday? No matter how much I try to control my urges and rage, it just res all of


    a sudden and then¡­then I am not me anymore. I can¡¯t differentiate my people and enemies. All I feel is


    the need to rip them apart.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s face was inches away from mine and I could hear the way his heart was pounding, his


    heartbeat frantic.


    He was trying to mask the hurt with anger. But I could see the pain in his voice, in his eyes.


    I did not even realize when my hand rose to cup his face gingerly. This close, I could see the scars on


    his face, the faint white lines on his skin and the dark circles that had just begun to form.


    ¡°¡­I am not going to run away from you,¡± I said, and my fingers brushed his jaw. I heard him take a


    sharp breath and the way he went deathly still.


    His eyelids fluttered shut, and I saw the way he swallowed nervously, as if fighting some emotion.


    Seeing that he had not pushed me away, I dared to lean forward as his body rippled with tension. Last


    night, he had hurt himself beyond measure. I let my other hand reach for his hand and slowly took it


    away from the wall, letting my fingers intertwine with his.


    The wounds had healed, but the scars were still there. I slowly kissed the tip of each finger and I saw


    the way he shivered.


    ¡°I told you I want to help you,¡± I said softly and slowly reached for his other hand as well.


    Brushing my lips softly on his fingers and his knuckles, I tried to ease his tension.


    ¡°I care for you, Cahan.¡±


    ¡°You should not. I don¡¯t deserve you.¡± Cahan breathed, his voice barely a whisper.


    ¡°I hurt people, Zee. I..I am a monster. You are not safe around me.¡±


    Cahan said, his voice cracking a bit. There was raw emotion on his face as he slowly raised his hand


    as well to touch my face gingerly.


    His fingers brushed my cheek tenderly, and I sucked in a breath.


    ¡°This is safe.¡± I said, cing a hand on his heart that was thudding wildly, trying to get out of his


    ribcage.


    ¡°That heart is not evil. It cares about people. You care about your people, about me.¡±


    I said, and the tenderness present on his face was wiped away in an instant.


    ¡°I only care about you like I care about Elijah, about Maria,¡± He said, but I could see the trying to


    convince himself more than me.


    The space between us was already quite less and I could feel his hot breath upon me, the


    mouthwatering scent of his Lycan and of his cologne.


    ¡°Liar,¡± I said and slowly brushed my lips on his, taking him by surprise.


    And the effect was instantaneous. Thest bits of restraint that were holding him back crumbled and


    before I could pull back, his hand mmed me on his chest.


    He pulled me close, letting his huge body cover me as his lips came down crashing on mine. Author¡¯s


    note: I have a Christmas gift for you guys. This story has been adapted into a short drama series on a


    partner app called Kalos TV. Found by the Lycan King has over 53 episodes out and ready to be binge


    watched on Kalos TV that you can find on Apple app store/Google y store. I hope you like and enjoy


    the drama series like you have been reading the story so far. Merry Xmas everyone!!Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Zenovia


    I could feel the hunger in them, the need.


    And I was more than ready to let him devour me. His kiss was explosive, spontaneous as if a can of


    explosives suddenly caught fire by the smallest of a spark.


    His lips consumed me as his hands roamed over my back, making my skin prickle with the heat


    traveling from my core to all over my body.


    My body was tingling, bustling like a livewire. Only his kiss could do that. Only he could ignite that spark


    in me.


    There was nothing tender about the way he touched me. It was like he owned me¡­like I only belonged


    to him.


    I gasped as his lips opened mine and his tongue explored my mouth while his teeth softly bit into my


    lower lip.


    I felt ecstatic, I felt I was alive.


    All the weakness I had been feeling suddenly disappeared and I felt as if my body was infused with


    energy.


    Cahan¡¯s hands went up my hair and he yed with it, inhaling sharply while pulling me even closer.


    Every single touch of his left a spark and every single grunt filled me with euphoria. He could deny


    needing me all he wanted, but he could not deny wanting me just like I wanted him.


    I wanted him as if my life depended on it. I was a moth that was ready to burn in the me of his


    anger, his passion, and his curse.


    So I kissed him back, hungrily, wanting our bodies to fuse into one. The kisses were frantic, heated,


    and very, very sexy.


    His mouth left mine after iming it and his lips began roaming over my cheek, traveling down. His


    teeth bit into my skin and I let out an audible gasp.


    I wanted more of this, more of him.


    But then he went still and I felt the absence of his lips kissing my skin. My eyes flew open and I looked


    at his face.


    There were a lot of emotions visible on his face, in his eyes but desire had left.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked and I saw the way his breath hitched.


    ¡°I hurt you again, didn¡¯t I?¡± He asked and I furrowed my eyebrows.


    I wondered what he was talking about. ¡°No¡­when?¡±


    He leaned back further and his hands went to the walls. ¡°Right¡­right now?¡±


    I shook my head and cupped his face, ¡°No you did not, Cal. I want you, I want this. You are not hurting


    me.¡±


    But he did not seem convinced.


    ¡°This thing¡­this thing that we have between us. What is it?¡± He asked, searching my eyes as if they


    held an answer.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know, Cal. I was honest with you when I said I have a crush on you.¡±


    ¡°Even now? You saw me¡­.yesterday. When the curse takes its full effect, I would be ten times worse,


    Zee. I won¡¯t be able to stop myself. So as much as I would want to kiss and devour you, it is better that


    you leave.¡±


    ¡°No, Cal. Please, we can find a solution to this.¡±


    Cahan shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I feel for you. But I do feel something. I don¡¯t think I am an


    ideal mate for you. Or for anyone for that matter. You deserve better, Zee. You awakened your wolf so


    you might find one soon. Then you will forget all about me.¡±


    He was trying so hard to convince me but I could not even think of wanting someone else. I


    daydreamed about his smile, about the way he charmed others and just about everything that was


    rted to him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, Cal. I love you. Thunder loves you.¡±


    I said automatically and then realized what I had said out loud.


    ¡°You think you love me. It is just an infatuation, Zee. A stupid crush like


    I folded my hands, ¡°Then why do you kiss me back?¡± you said.¡±


    ¡°I could do more too. I could not just kiss you but take you to bed too. If that is what you want I can do


    that. Every. Single. Night.¡±


    I saw the way his gaze heated when he said thosest three words.


    ¡°I will make you scream and cry my name and keep begging for more. You can be the breeder


    everybody assumes you are¡±


    My face fell. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that¡±


    ¡°You were honest to me so I will be honest to you. I am trying to. I cannot risk letting you tie to myself,


    knowing how feral I can go. Yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg. I don¡¯t have a mate, I don¡¯t think I


    will ever have one. Is this the life you want for yourself?¡±


    He asked, leaving me staring at him with wide open eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think you have no chance at living a normal life. You won¡¯t even tell me what the


    issue is nor would you let others open up to me. How can I help without knowing everything?¡± I


    whispered.


    ¡°Look, Dru is my best friend. She would want my safety. She gets these visions which are not even true


    sometimes. She just came up with this weird idea that if I find an anchor to stabilize my feral instinct,


    she could buy some time to break the curse. That¡¯s all she has been speaking about since the day she


    saw you.¡±


    ¡°She saw me? Where?¡± I-asked.


    Cahan began to step away but I pulled him close. ¡°Answer me, please.¡±


    He rubbed his temple. ¡°In one of her visions. She saw you¡­or rather a blurred image of a girl taming


    my feral instincts down. She also said that the odd pain I felt in my chest upon seeing you was an


    indication that she was right.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°You felt pain upon seeing me?¡±


    ¡°Drusi was the one to ask me to go start looking for you when she thought all her attempts to find a


    cure without finding out the girl aka you were futile. We kept driving through the territory for hours but


    when the car passed by your school, I suddenly felt suffocated. An extreme unease suddenly


    overcame me, making me want to get out of the car.¡±


    I recalled the day I had been walking towards school, and seeing a line of cars and bodyguards


    standing outside the gate and wondering what the fuss was about.


    ¡°Drusi suggested we go sit inside the Dean¡¯s office and get some rest before resuming our journey.


    And I also saw the way you stood up to Matteo.¡±


    Cahan chuckled at that.


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t know you were watching.¡± I answeredmely.


    ¡°You did not even know me back then, I think. But that does not matter. The entire crowd had been


    watching you. And you went ahead and hurled your bag at Matteo who is twice your size.¡± ¡°He was


    hurting my friend. I did not have many friends but I wanted to help Cole because he was nice to me at


    school.¡±


    Cahan nodded in understanding.


    ¡°It was funny the way you stood up in front of Matteo. Not many would try to pick a fight with the beta of


    a Lycan King.¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been holed up in this mansion for days. The real reason I keep a distance from even my pack is


    because I fear I would go feral any instant and hurt them. I don¡¯t want that. I tried hard to make Elijah


    and Matteo leave me alone too, but they won¡¯t leave my side. Neither does Drusi or Maria.¡±


    I took a step forward and cupped his face again. ¡°That is because all of them love you. They all believe


    in you and have faith that one day a cure could be found. Why don¡¯t you believe in it too?¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I asked. This was probably the first time he was opening up to me about his reasoning and rationale.


    Cahan never told the reason why he did anything and the best we could do was guess and assume.


    ¡°Because we have been trying for years. Drusi keeps traveling in search of a cure, sometimes alone,


    and sometimes she also sends Elijah and Matteo on secret missions. They think I don¡¯t know. I do. I


    just don¡¯t want to break their hearts by not allowing them to do what they want.¡± ¡°Then why would you


    ask me to do the opposite?¡± I countered.


    ¡°Because I have not known you for long. Parting ways with you would be easy. I don¡¯t want you to get


    attached to me like them and be miserable for not being able to find a cure. It both saddens me and


    makes me very angry to see them return from their secret missions and turn up with gloomy faces.


    They try to not show it to me, but I know how it affects them.¡±


    I pulled him closer again. Cahan was being vulnerable in front of me for the first time. Maybe, having


    lost his control like a true feral beast had made him doubt himself and his strength.


    He was always in control of himself and never let his true emotions show. Today was different.


    He was confused, and nervous and it was breaking my heart to see him suffer like this.


    ¡°Let me do it, Cal. You said Drusi¡¯s visions are not always true, but that means they aren¡¯t always


    wrong either. I wish to help her in whatever she ns to do. If I could really stall for time or break the


    curse, wouldn¡¯t it be great?¡±


    Cahan shook his head, ¡°It is risky, Zee.¡±


    I ced a finger on his lips, ¡°Shh. Let that risk be mine.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    He began but I pressed my finger on his lips harder, ¡°I know what I am doing. It was me who held you


    back yesterday while Elijah went to bring Drusi. At least, let me listen to what she ns to do. Then


    you can ask me to not do it and I will listen.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°100%¡±


    Author¡¯s note: I do n to keep uploading more chapters but the updates might not happen on


    Christmas/New Year¡¯s weekend.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    Zenovia


    I hated the way Cahan had a grip over himself, hated the way he would start talking about something


    right when we were kissing, and when I felt that he would devour me whole.


    I also hated the way the hunger in his eyes would switch in an instant to mild intrigue. How could he


    have such control over himself while being so close to me, while kissing me?


    I would not be even able to think of anything else other than the way his lips caressed my skin and the


    way his hands roamed over me.


    Cahan put some more distance from me, stepping away and grabbing a towel to give his hands


    something to do.


    I too tidied my clothes and hair and let my raging breathing return to normal. I tried to focus on the fact


    that after all this time, I would be finally getting some answers.


    Based on our little ¡®talk¡¯, I could feel d that he did feel something for me. At least, I knew he was not


    toying with my emotions or he would have forced himself upon me and tossed me away like a


    discarded tissue.


    Cahan was the Lycan King so nobody would bat an eyelid if he did that. But he only touched me or


    devoured me when I asked for it, when I begged him to do it.


    It both annoyed me and turned me on.


    Letting out a huff, I tried to focus on the fact that Drusi was going to share everything. I hoped she


    would and that Cahan would not find another way to stop me from doing what I wanted.


    When Cahan was done, he only tilted his head and looked at the door, asking me to leave with him. I


    got the message and walked with him as he led me to his office. The walk was silent but I did not mind


    it as it gave me some time toe up with doubts and possible theories.


    Drusi was waiting for us in his office as Cahan pushed the door open. She had a pensive look on


    her face.


    Drusi was staring outside the window, thinking about something. She had a diary clutched in her


    hands and it looked like she had been chewing the base of the pencil.


    Drusi was wearing ck jeans, a white crop top, and a ck jacket. Her hair was open and like


    always she looked like she was ready to conquer the world while I looked like I got off a 12 hour flight.


    She gave me a small smile as I walked in and waved at her.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked.


    Drusi replied, ¡°I should be asking you that question.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I feel fine¡±


    Cahan walked towards his table, giving me a wide berth.


    ¡°Seeing that you are here, I guess Cahan failed to convince you to note talk to me.¡±


    Cahan did not say a word and neither did I. She had warned me not to fall for Cahan earlier but the


    ship had already sailed.


    Though I was not aware if she knew my crush had intensified further with the arrival of Thunder or the


    fact that I knew how Cahan¡¯s lips felt on my skin.


    ¡°Very well.¡± She cleared her throat and began.


    ¡°As you know Cahan is cursed and what you saw yesterday is just the beginning of the effects of his


    curse. We have been looking for years for a cure but so far, I only found you. My visions told me you


    would somehow help him stay grounded and not let Beast¡¯s wild instinctspletely take over his


    mind.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°So, I proposed that you be his anchor. I have been asking him for months to tell you all of it but


    he kept postponing it saying that you were a human and that he did not want to put that responsibility


    on


    you. He stopped us from divulging everything to you as well. But looking at the way things unfolded


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    08:23


    yesterday, I cannot stay silent anymore.¡±


    She threw him a look as if to challenge him to deny it. But again he did not say a word.


    ¡°What does being an anchor mean exactly?¡± I got straight to the point.


    ¡°As I said, we need someone with a strong connection to him, someone who could tame down the


    beast within him when he loses control. That could have been any of his existing pack members but


    trust me, when I tried that, it did not work.¡±


    ¡°How do you know it would work with me?¡±


    Drusi put her diary in her bag and replied, ¡°Yesterday, it was just you and him. You somehow


    managed


    to not let a single person get hurt while exhausting his Lycan until he got tame enough to fall asleep


    just by throwing a sleeping draught.¡±


    I recalled how I had run around for my life and Drusi had thrown something on him. I had just


    assumed it was water.


    ¡°It was a brilliant idea, mind you. It takes courage to face a Lycan who is in his senses, but it takes


    more than courage to face one who is not himself anymore. You bought us enough time while Elijah


    drove like a madman and got me here on time.¡±


    ¡°Elijah, how is he?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He is fine. He would readily sacrifice his life for Cahan. He is just a little bruised, so he is resting for


    a while.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°So, if I be his anchor, I can stop him from going wild?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I believe so. My visions tell me that you are strong enough to help him. With the arrival of your wolf,


    you have gotten stronger. We just have to perform a small ritual, and then you both will have


    established the anchor bond.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so easy,¡± Cahan grunted, staring pointedly at Drusi.


    ¡°I am not done, Cal. And I am not going to throw her into a fire. She is my friend too,¡± Drusi snapped.


    Pushing her hair behind her ear, Drusi continued.


    ¡°Through the anchor bond, you would be able to sense the changes in his emotions whenever they get


    heightened. So, if you sense that he is losing it, you can inform us all and we try to stop him before he


    destroys the garden and backyard like yesterday.¡±


    Well, that did not seem all that bad to me.


    ¡°If you are calm enough and don¡¯t panic, you could channel some of your calmness into him and


    thereby stop the transition.¡± She added.


    ¡°She barely awakened her wolf, Dru. How do you expect her to control the rage of a beast like me


    when I go mad? Elijah almost got snapped into two yesterday.¡±


    ¡°That was because he is bound to you. He is loyal to you. So, he would not fight you even if you went


    for his life. He would let you kill him and you know that.¡±


    Cahan had opened his mouth to speak, but closed it abruptly.


    ¡°Look, Zee, I know I am asking a lot from you. But we needed someone who was not blindly loyal to


    Cahan. His entire pack is and so neither would fight him when he goes out of control. That would be


    counterproductive to the guilt of having killed members who would never raise a hand in defense or


    retaliation¡­it would break him. I believe it all happened for a reason. He sensed an odd feeling in his


    chest when he first saw you, but against my advice, he let you go.¡±


    She then looked at Cahan, who only looked at her pointedly. ¡°But then when you identally


    bumped into his car, it was fate telling him to take the chance. And that time he did.¡±


    ¡°You are ignoring the part where Matteo almost drove the car upon her.¡±


    Drusi let out a sigh, but I had another question for her.


    ¡°So you think if the Lycan King is not himself or his rage is intense, I will not only stop him but put up a


    fight against him?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°You are quite stubborn, in a good way, I mean. So far, he has given you many orders, but


    I hear you follow none of them and just do what you want.¡±


    I grinned, but the smile disappeared when Cahan red at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make it seem as if what she does is the right thing,¡± he snapped at his best friend, but she


    ignored him.


    ¡°I am just saying she is brave enough, as it is to stand by her words and beliefs. Even before she


    awakened. her wolf, she stood up against you. Not many would live to tell the tale.¡±


    ¡°By standing up against me, if you mean running away with a stranger and almost getting drugged and


    sold to the rogue King, yes, she did a fantastic job.¡±


    Cahan added smugly.


    My smile disappeared again.


    ¡°And from what I hear, she also is the winner of the trials held yesterday. Aren¡¯t you, girl?¡± Drusi


    continued to speak positively about me. I nodded.


    ¡°So, all of the points I stated lead me to the conclusion that she is our best bet. The only thing that


    matters now is if she would agree to it.¡±


    Both Cahan and Drusi¡¯s eyes flicked to me at that line.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t allow her to do it. She is my subject and pack member, so she is bound to obey me. And I


    won¡¯t permit her to do this.¡±


    Author¡¯s note: Happy New Year guys!! I hope you all had a fun-filled holiday and may 2024 fulfill all


    your wishes!

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    Zenovia


    Drusi turned to look at him, and I saw the way she was beginning to lose a temper.


    ¡°Do you not understand that she is our only hope? Yesterday, you had barely gotten out of control, yet.


    you caused so much chaos.¡±


    Cahan was quick to reply. ¡°Exactly. I am the problem. If anybody needs to take the risks, it is me, not


    her or anybody else.¡±


    We were going round and round in circles as Cahan kept arguing against Drusi¡¯s words, no matter


    how much she tried to make him understand.


    And I only stood around like a silent bystander. Drusi cared for Cahan and it showed, but I also felt


    nice that he cared for me. That he was not selfish enough to make me do anything and everything just


    because his life was at stake.


    ¡°Cal, you don¡¯t understand. The rogue king and his influence are growing stronger. Yesterday, you just


    lost your control in front of the servants and maids. They will keep mum about it. Elijah and Zee would


    too. But what if next time it happens in front of others? The rogue King is already trying to break our


    unity and show how you are ipetent. What do you think will happen when they see you in your


    beastly state, like yesterday?¡±


    Cahan replied, ¡°Well, I told you. I would step down as the Lycan King and go lock myself in a


    dungeon or something and only return when I can carry myself without wanting to rip heads apart.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied before Drusi could counter.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what your enemies want? To drive you away from your people? The witch cursed you so that


    you had to put distance between yourself and your pack. You stay in this mansion all by yourself while


    your pack stays elsewhere. Do you think they would like that their King is suffering all by himself?¡±


    Cahan shook his head.


    ¡°Look Zenovia. You have barely awakened your wolf and you are still learning how to properly shift.


    You are inexperienced when ites to battles and I doubt you would stand a chance against the


    rogue King, let alone me, when I¡­when Ipletely lose it. It is risky. I might injure you, hurt you more


    than you could take. I would have no sense of right or wrong¡­¡¯


    33


    I interrupted before he could continue, ¡°But that is what the anchor bond is for, right? To stop you


    before youpletely lose yourself. Maybe, the moon Goddess sent me here to help you. To save you


    and all of us from the future dangers.¡±


    ¡°I am the danger, Zenovia. Why can¡¯t you understand it?¡±


    ¡°The lives of werewolves are filled with danger. Pack wars are asmon as something we would


    discuss for breakfast. I was thrown out of my own pack and if not for you, I would have ended up dead.


    You saved my life, and I got this one chance to repay you. Don¡¯t take it from me.¡±


    I replied, and my voice cracked a little when I recalled the past. Somehow, whenever my family was


    brought up, I could not keep the hurt hidden from my voice.


    I had also been wanting to meet my father and check up on him, but after yesterday¡¯s events, I feared if


    I brought it up, Cahan would send me to my home right away and ask me to never return.


    Funny, how I was dying to go back to my home just a few months ago, but now I wanted to stay back


    and help him, be with him.


    I was either too brave or too stupidly in love with a person who kept shutting me out.


    ¡°I CAN KILL YOU FOR FUCK¡¯S SAKE¡±


    Cahan said and drove a fist in the windowpane and both I and Drusi staggered back. His punch


    went straight through the ss and bits of shards were sprinkled all around.


    Most of it was sprayed on him, but he did not even flinch. His hand was still resting on the broken ss


    and I saw blood beginning to ooze out of his skin.


    Fat red drops of blood trickled out of the wounds, but he only dug his hand deeper into the ss.


    09:37


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, feeling rmed that he was already on a suicide mission.


    ¡°Zee, don¡¯t try to-¡± Drusi began, but I had run to him and plucked his hand off the ss. He let me


    and I saw the way small shards were sticking into his palm and wrist.


    Tears trickled out of my eyes when I saw him behave like this.


    ¡°You¡­you are not healing,¡± I muttered softly.


    ¡°The curse. It is slowly turning me into a beast but taking away everything positive of my werewolf


    side¡­strength, healing, confidence.¡±


    He chuckled humorlessly.


    I recalled how I had seen him injured and bleeding from the abdomen. How far the curse had


    progressed?


    Drusi let out a sigh and spoke, ¡°I will wait outside¡±


    She walked out of the door and closed it from outside, leaving us both inside the office.


    ¡°You are important to me, Cal. I don¡¯t care how much of a risk it is to try to break the bond as long as it


    is me who gets to break it. I owe you my life, my happiness, and my wolf. I cannot see you like this.¡±


    More tears trickled out of my eyes. Seeing him crushed and broken was like somebody was twisting my


    heart and squeezing it hard.


    I had always seen him be arrogant or cocky and I would always think that I would wipe off that smirk


    from his face. But I could not stand this version of Cahan- the one who was doubting himself and my


    faith in him.


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    I recalled the way he had pulled out the first aid kit from one of the drawersst time when I had spilled


    hot tea all over his papers and retrieved it.


    Reaching for the shards, I gently plucked them off with tweezers and bandaged his hand to the best of


    my ability.


    ¡°Beforeing to my office, I told you that I would let you listen to whatever Drusi said but then you


    were going to listen to me. You said I could ask you not to do it and that you would listen to me.¡±


    I bit my lower lip. Of course, I had said that but that was only because I wanted to get to the truth.


    Now that I knew all of it, the urge to help him break the curse was even greater than before. Thinking


    on my feet, I quickly replied, ¡°I know what I said¡±


    I put the cotton and the antiseptic back in the first aid kit as I gingerly caressed his arm with


    ¡°Good. So you are going to listen to me.¡±


    I nodded my head, ¡°I am listening.¡±


    Cahan took a second to realize what I was doing.


    ¡°Zee, don¡¯t act smart.¡±


    My heart was beginning to hammer as I thought I might anger him. But I decided to y it cool.


    ¡°You asked me to listen to you. I AM listening. You never said I was supposed to obey you.¡±


    I batted my eyshes. I expected him tosh out at me, repeat all the reasons why I was being an idiot


    but I saw a hint of a smile creep up on his face¡­barely.


    It was just a small smile but it made my heart flutter wildly.


    Cahan shook his head. ¡°How do you always find a way to do exactly the opposite of what I asked


    you?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°I am a natural.¡±


    ¡°Yeah and stop eavesdropping, Dru,¡± Cahan said, and slowly turned his head toward the door.


    She poked her head in by pushing the door open a bit and bit her lower lip.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she muttered, and Cahan let out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I have all the stubborn people


    around me.¡±


    I smiled at her, and I saw the relief on her face. She was glowing positively and looked very hopeful.


    ¡°Because birds of the same feather flock together,¡± she added and came towards me to pull me into a


    hug.


    ¡°You are going to be the solution to everything.¡±


    I let her warm embrace fill my heart with confidence. At least somebody believed in me.


    ¡°I sincerely hope so,¡± I replied as Thunder rejoiced in my head.


    ¡°If we break his curse, we make him mark us before any other she-wolf does that. He is ours.¡±


    I met his gaze and wondered what it would feel like to be his mate.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    Zenovia


    I tore my eyes away from Cahan as Drusi grabbed my hand and began dragging me.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Drusi grabbed the car keys from the office table and muttered, ¡°Do you think we can perform the


    ritual in this office? Duh!¡±


    She flicked my forehead, and I rubbed it as she continued to drag me down the stairs and towards the


    garage.


    The garage door opened when she clicked a button and I saw several cars, all sleek and shiny, waiting


    for us.


    ¡°Feeling fancy today?¡± Drusi asked, and I shrugged.


    I did not understand much about cars or luxury, so they all looked pretty high-end to me.


    ¡°Today is a special day, so let us drive you in a special car.¡±


    ¡°Drive me where?¡± I asked and again she shook her head.


    ¡°Will you stop trying to ruin my surprise? I am setting up the mood.¡± She. pouted.


    I looked around, but Cahan hadn¡¯t followed us. ¡°Is the Lycan King noting with us?¡± I asked.


    The anchor bond had to be established between me and him, right? So, we had to do the ritual


    together.


    At least, that is what I assumed.


    ¡°He needed some time to cool off. So, he would join us directly there.¡±


    ¡°Where is there?¡± I tried again, but she simply unlocked the doors of a car and shoved me in.


    ¡°Ow,¡± I rubbed my elbow when it lightly hit the door.


    ¡°Sorry. It is just that I am both nervous and excited. I have been asking him for days¡­no¡­years to


    listen to me. He never did. I spent countless hours locked in a room, studying the visions and trying to


    analyze a


    09:07


    pattern. I just hope it works.¡±


    She added nervously, her fingers gripping the steering wheel a bit too hard. Her painted nails dug into


    the soft leather and I tried to calm her down.


    ¡°Well, let us just get there and be done with the ritual.¡±


    Drusi nodded, and she drove the car outside, taking me through the wide empty road that she soon


    left to drive on a muddy, dirt patch.


    The ride wasn¡¯t bumpy, but I saw the way she drove deeper into the forest, leaving the city behind.


    I would have asked her where we were going for the umpteenth time, but I doubted she would answer.


    Cahan had always asked me not to venture deeper into the forest since there could be rogues and


    such, but somehow she was taking me there and, given that he let us leave, this could be a safe


    territory.


    That only piqued my curiosity.


    The trees were denser here and the moonlight filtering in through the canopy of trees got fainter as we


    drove forward. However, I did not feel the forest to be eerie or creepy.


    Somehow, despite it being nearly dark, the air around here felt calm and rxing, soothing my nerves.


    The forest was quiet and the night animals probably sleeping or hunting. My fear of some rogue or any


    other wild animal suddenly pouncing on us vanished as a soft breeze kept caressing my face, tickling


    an idle strand of hair against my skin.


    The cool wind and the quiet were enough to lull me to sleep. My eyelids began to droop, and I felt that I


    would sleep like a baby.


    But soon, the car came to a halt as Drusi hit the brakes and turned the ignition off.


    ¡°Hey, get up,¡± she said, gently nudging me. I had my elbow propped on the window pane and my head


    was resting on it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep,¡± she said excitedly as I stifled a yawn and stepped outside the car. And the scene


    waiting in front of me was something that wiped off all the sleep from my eyes.


    09:07 [


    The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp moss as I rubbed my eyes to see the splendid sight


    in front of me.


    The moonlight was shining brightly into this clearing and only now I understood what was lulling me to


    sleep. A huge but serene waterfall was cascading gently into a crystalline pool below. The water looked


    sparkly white, whiter than the clouds adorning the night sky. Stars were twinkling from amidst them, the


    reflection of the night sky visible in the small pool of water surrounded by the rocks. The water


    disappeared into the crevices, traveling underground to probably join some river.


    ¡°Ta da¡± Drusi threw her hands open while standing in front of the huge scenery as if she was the


    mastermind behind nature to create it.


    ¡°It is beautiful,¡± I whispered, not wanting to break the calm silence by shouting unnecessarily.


    ¡°Ie here to study or just rx when my mind is feeling particrly uneasy or I feel restless,¡± she


    added as I neared the cascading waterfall.


    ¡°I can guess why. It feels so calm here,¡± I replied, and she nodded her head. Her hands dug inside her


    bag that she had slung across her shoulder and she pulled out her diary.


    I had been so engrossed in observing the waterfall that only now did I notice something on the edges of


    the jagged rocks.


    Roots of a tree had woven themselves through the numerous crevices. and it stood tall upon the cliff


    through which the water cascaded down, as if standing guard over something.


    The branches were long and elongated, and lush green leaves nketed us from above.


    Its roots snaked across the rock, creating an intricate pattern that mirrored the flow of the cascading


    waters. The leaves rustled gently in the breeze, whispering tales to anyone who cared to listen.


    I wondered how the tree had not fallen down and managed to stay upright while growing on the edge of


    a steep cliff and a waterfall.


    But Mother Nature was mysterious, and her magic was not always understandable to us.


    I smiled and thought of sprinkling the water over my face to get rid of the sleep. As I took a step closer,


    I bnced my foot on the edge of the rocks surrounding the small pool. The water spraying on me was


    cool and sweet.


    I sshed it on my face and gathered some in my palms that I drank heartily. I immediately felt


    refreshed.


    As I wiped my face with my sleeves, I noticed something else as well.


    Amidst the moss-covered rocks, partially veiled by the silken spray of the waterfall, an extraordinary


    sight unfolded-a statue carved out of the very stones that formed the cradle of the stream.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± I started, but could not quite understand it from this angle.


    Drusi came to stand beside me and replied, ¡°Oh, you noticed it right


    It took me a while when I first visited this ce.¡±


    We were staring at a huge statue carved out of the stone, seamlessly blending with the natural


    surroundings. There were three figures looking in three different directions. I peered intently and


    noticed that they were three females, d in long, flowy robes. A very skilled sculptor had


    carved them and it must have taken him months, if not weeks, to chip off the stone and patiently create


    three distinct identities from a huge rock.


    The three women had their faces partially covered with veils that I marveled at how the sculptor created


    with stone. They stood side by side, their eyes gazing into the infinite. And they all had their hands


    outstretched, and there were small branches of various small trees and shrubs weaving through their


    fingers.


    ¡°What is this ce?¡± I asked, after admiring the statue for a long time.


    ¡°Well, it is a depiction of the Norns. They are the deities of fate, and together, they weave the threads of


    fate, determining the destinies of individuals and even the fate of the cosmos.¡±


    ¡°I thought your talk about fate and destiny would be over by the time I reached here.¡± A familiar voice


    called out from behind.


    I turned around to see Cahan walking towards us, shaking his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Shut up, Cal!¡± Drusi retorted, but he only smiled instead of getting angry.


    ¡°You were supposed to take ages toe here. I figured I would calm my nerves and let her look


    around as well!¡± She added.


    ¡°I was supposed to never agree to this. But you girls don¡¯t want to listen to me. Stubborn lot¡±


    Drusi stuck out a tongue as my gaze drifted towards him again. He was trying very hard to act


    normal, but he was notfortable about being here.


    ¡°Fate and destiny is a thing, Cal. The sooner you agree, the better.¡± She added and began taking out


    some stuff from her bag.


    ¡°I stand by my words. Destiny is what I make of my life. Fate is what I did not put my 100% effort into.


    End of discussion.¡±


    I stood around undecidedly, not wanting to take anybody¡¯s side. Drusi pulled out some candles,


    herbs, matches, and whatnot while I watched her nervously.


    She looked up at the sky, and the moon was shining brightly.


    ¡°Please bless us,¡± she said while looking at the moon and I offered a silent prayer too.


    ¡°Please bless us and bless Cahan too,¡± I spoke in a low voice.


    He might be stubborn and arrogant, but he did not deserve the fate he was tied to. And it was almost


    comical the way he was now standing before the deities that determined fate, trying to change his


    prewritten destiny.


    I could only hope I would be enough and that the Moon Goddess would give me strength and courage


    to save him from his doom.


    ¡°Let us begin¡±

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    Zenovia


    We stared at each other, Cahan¡¯s eyes boring into mine as Drusi gathered her ritual supplies.


    ¡°Okay, now I want you both to be standing in front of each other¡­.here,¡± She said, pointing to a spot


    just in front of the statue.


    I nodded and went to stand where she had asked us to. Cahan shook his head and followed suit.


    Drusi brought out another book from her bag and began reading something.


    ¡°I just have to make sure I am not doing it wrong¡± She mumbled. My gaze flicked to the book in her


    hand and I noticed it to be a pretty old and worn-out book. It had a leather outer cover and the pages


    seemed yellowed.


    ¡°What trick shop did you buy that book from?¡± Cahan asked, noticing my questioning gaze.


    Drusi flipped the pages and muttered, ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe in fate or destiny. The least you can


    do is stay quiet when I am working.¡±


    Cahan raised his hands in mock surrender and stood in front of me while Drusi pulled out a white


    powder and began drawing a circle around us.


    ¡°You are a witch as well?¡± I asked, just to not be caught looking at Cahan¡¯s face when he was staring


    so intently at me.


    Even his gaze was telling me how this was a stupid idea.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Partially. I am learning. And I had to make a few deals just toy a hand on this book. So it better


    work.¡±


    ¡°What deals?¡± Cahan asked sharply but she ignored him.


    After shepleted the circle around us she pulled a small dagger and held it in front of us.


    ¡°What? Now I have to nick her with that? I have ws you know,¡± Cahan added but Drusi rolled


    her eyes at him.


    He was suddenly being too chatty, probably an attempt to disguise his nervousness as a carefree


    attitude.


    Drusi held the dagger under the waterfall and muttered some incantations in anguage I did not


    understand while reading through the yellowed pages.


    When she was done, she brought it back to us and handed it to Cahan.


    ¡°Cut her wrist gently, the median cubital vein. Then you too, Zenovia. Then you both hold your wrists


    over each other as if shaking hands and I say the rest of the chants.¡±


    Cahan scoffed, ¡°English please¡±


    Drusi stepped forward and pointed her index finger at my wrist. ¡°The middle one, right in the center. It


    is clearly visible.¡±


    Cahan looked at me and I tried not to shiver as he gently reached for my hand and held it forward,


    palm open.


    The gentle brush of his fingers made my skin tingle but I decided to me it on the chilly air.


    His thumb caressed my wrist and I felt goosebumps appear on my skin. ¡°This might hurt a bit¡±


    He said and I nodded.


    Drusi exined, ¡°Werewolf and Lycan wounds typically heal faster than the average wounds. This


    knife would keep the wound open just a bit longer to let us collect the necessary amount of blood.¡±


    Cahan remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t need it and you know why.¡±


    I bit my lower lip. His wounds were already taking longer to heal.


    ¡°Yeah, but I am not barbaric enough to dice you with my ws, which I don¡¯t have. Plus, we need to


    use the wrist vein so please do it.¡± She said.


    Cahan ignored her as his golden eyes bore into mine.


    ¡°Keep looking at me¡±


    He made it sound so easy. But I could hardly stand still while looking into his eyes and with his hand


    caressing mine.


    Drusi flipped a page and began chanting something as Cahan let the cool tip of the dagger touch


    my skin. His gaze was hypnotic and he did not even have to look down to nick my skin.


    Drusi¡¯s chants filled in the silence that was otherwise only punctuated by my shaky breaths.


    ¡°Done,¡± He said and I tried not to show the disappointment in my expressions with the way he quickly


    let go of my hand.


    I gulped nervously and reached for his left hand. The tip of his nails were chipped and I could see the


    wounds under his nails and on the knuckles.


    He was healing like a human already. I looked at the small wounds and dread settled in my heart as he


    tilted his head.


    ¡°Are you going to do it or not?¡±


    I took a deep breath and held his hand with one of my own while repeating what he had done to my


    hand. Blood had pooled around the small incision he made, just enough to make it ooze out gently and


    not gush out like a river.


    I saw the way my werewolf was trying to heal the wound. ¡°Rx, it is okay¡± I spoke to Thunder who


    only replied,


    ¡°It is a basic instinct¡±


    I could not keep looking into his eyes, not when his hands showed me faint lines of injuries and scars


    that I had not previously seen. He would seldom sit still for me to observe his wounds or his face for


    that matter. And his eyes would always be ring at me.


    Letting out a breath, I took the dagger and made a small cut on his wrist. Red blood squeezed itself out


    of the nick almost instantly and we looked at Drusi.


    ¡°Good, now hold your hands as if you are shaking them but grab each other¡¯s elbows, not the palms,


    the wrists should touch.¡±


    We did as she said and then she stepped forward to tilt our hands so that his knuckles were facing


    upward.


    She opened the book and began chanting something as I tried not to focus on the way his fingers were


    lightly brushing my skin.


    The golden orbs in his eyes were shining vibrantly and I could see the way the cogs in his life were


    churning. He was deep in thought about something while Drusi continued to chant.


    She stopped just once and tilted our hands again so that my knuckles were now facing upwards.


    I thought I saw something as my gaze went to our joined hands. While she was chanting a faint golden


    thread that was more like a wisp emerged from the the tip of his index finger.


    I blinked thinking that it was my imagination, but the golden particles began elongating like a thread,


    flowing from his index finger and traveling upwards, toward the back of his hand.


    I watched in a daze as the golden wisp kept erging and circling our joined hands as if enveloping it


    in a golden thread. Drusi saw the thread emerge and a radiant smile blossomed in her eyes.


    She looked at me as if to say ¡®It is working. I nodded and urged her to continue. The moment the


    golden wisp reached the area of our joined elbows, it hesitated a bit.


    Even Cahan raised an eyebrow and stared at it, wondering what made it stop. Drusi¡¯s smile


    wavered but she began chanting with renewed vigor.


    The tip of the golden wisp seemed to hover just on the top of our joined hands but finally, it began


    traveling downward.


    I saw the way Drusi¡¯s shoulders slumped in relief but she never stopped chanting. The wisp


    prated our joined elbows and I only felt a slight tingling sensation. It disappeared inside and we


    waited for it to show up.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the wisp emerged from below our joined hands¡­however, it was


    not golden¡­it had a slight reddish hue to it.


    My gaze automatically drifted to Cahan but he seemed as surprised as me. The golden crimson wisp


    began enveloping our hands until it reached my index finger.


    The candles Drusi had ced around us in the circle suddenly red up before the mes were


    wiped away. A puff of smoke rose from the wicks and the golden reddish wisp enveloping our hands


    disappeared as well.


    We stayed as we were and Drusi closed her eyes, offering some sort of prayer to the Goddess


    before she turned to the statue of the Norns.


    She folded her hands and offered a prayer to them as well and bowed her head before turning back to


    us.


    Pushing the book back in her purse she beamed at me. ¡°It is done. Now you are officially the anchor of


    the Lycan King.¡±

 Chatper 123

    Chapter 123


    I stood there, blinking as Drusi happily collected all her stuff lying around, the candles, herbs, and


    such.


    She had been too nervous earlier, but now there was a certain confidence in her body posture and she


    was humming to herself as Cahan observed his hand. The small incision I had made with the knife


    disappeared and there was no sign of the wisp either.


    Even I checked my hand, but there was no visible mark of the anchor bond taking effect.


    ¡°Are you sure it worked?¡± Cahan asked while rolling down his sleeves.


    She nodded her head, ¡°Well, the wisp did show up, and I chanted all the spells to the best of my ability.


    I think it should have worked.¡±


    Her gaze switched to me. ¡°Do you feel anything yet?¡±


    I tried to sense if there were any internal changes in my body or mind, but it came back as nothing.


    I shook my head, but she came towards me and gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You should notice the changes in some time. Maybe a few hours.¡±


    Cahan decided to jump into the conversation. ¡°What type of changes?¡±


    Drusi turned to look at him. ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure. But the wrist nerve, the one you cut, connects to the


    heart. Since she is not your mate, she cannot feel your emotions through the mate bond. This is the


    closest substitute I could find.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± He asked nkly, and I tried not to show my disappointment at the fact that I was not his mate.


    Why did I even think I would be? Or that he would want me as his mate?


    ¡°So, the next time you throw a fit and rage tries to take hold of you, she should be the first to sense it.


    And through the bond, she can also channel her own calmness into you. That should help you keep


    your uncontrolled transition at bay.¡±


    20:46


    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t?¡± He asked, his eyes narrowing on his best friend.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so pessimistic all the time, Cal. It is like you just want to die and I am trying hard


    not to let you take the jump.¡± She grew irritated all over again.


    Cahan only shrugged, ¡°You mean I am being rational, not pessimistic.¡±


    Drusi shook her head and threw her hands up in the air. ¡°Look, I am tired. The spell was hard to


    perform, and I did not pass out in fear that I might do something wrong, but now I need to get some


    rest.


    ¡°¡±


    Cahan pushed his hands in his pockets to retrieve his keys. ¡°Let me drop you home.¡±


    But she shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t deal with you right now.¡± She flicked her gaze at me. ¡°He is all yours


    now.¡±


    Saying so, she turned away and went towards her car, stomping her foot as loudly as she could on the


    stones amid the muddy path.


    ¡°She was just trying to help you. Do you always have to drive those who care about you away?¡± I


    asked, but he only gave me a pointed look before marching towards his car.


    Both went their separate directions, and I stood in front of the statue and the waterfall, shaking my


    head.


    ¡°Goddess, have mercy on me,¡± I said and went towards Cahan¡¯s car. The sooner I tested out if the


    bond was working, the better.


    And it did not take a lot to anger him.


    Letting out a breath, I opened the car door and sat beside him as he turned the ignition on. As usual,


    he drove the car silently.


    Having nothing to do, I stared at my wrist, caressing the spot where he had nicked me. The wound had


    healed and there was a faint white scar in its ce.


    My index finger kept brushing on it as Cahan drove the car through the forest before we hit the


    tarmac.


    I thought Drusi wasing with us, but true to her word, she left for home. It must have been really


    taxing on her, months and months of trying to convince Cahan and then performing the ritual despite


    not being a witch.


    20:46


    I figured she needed some rest. The moonlight fell onto the trees lining the road and followed us all the


    way home.


    Cahan parked the car in the garage wordlessly and we both got out.


    Not knowing what to say to him, I too began walking in the direction of


    my room.


    But then a voice called out to Cahan.


    ¡°King Cahan, are you alright?¡± Elijah¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    Cahan turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. He did not answer him but simply walked


    towards him and hugged him.


    Even Elijah was surprised by the act. Cahan seldom disyed affection openly.


    Cahan embraced his gamma, who hugged him back.


    I only watched with a smile as Cahan pulled away.


    ¡°Thank you¡±


    It made Elijah¡¯s brows furrow. ¡°For what, King?¡±


    Cahan shook his head, ¡°You are like my brother and a friend I don¡¯t deserve. I am sorry for


    yesterday.¡±


    But Elijah added, ¡°No King. I am the one who should be sorry.¡±


    ¡°For saving me?¡± Cahan chuckled.


    ¡°No King. I was supposed to keep you away from harm. But I had to go and get Drusi while Zee


    handled it all alone.¡±


    Cahan gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. ¡°You mean she handled me in my berserk state?¡±


    Elijah pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°I should have arrived sooner. Plus, in the fight¡­.I¡­I think I hit


    you.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Cahan asked him in a shocked voice.


    ¡°As your gamma, I am only supposed to hurt your enemies, not you. I failed in my duties yesterday and


    also jeopardized Zenovia¡¯s safety. I¡­I wanted to ask for forgiveness from both of you, but I could not


    muster the courage to meet you.¡±


    20:46


    He said, lowering his gaze.


    Cahan scoffed, ¡°Are you hearing yourself?¡±


    He then turned to look at me. ¡°Please tell him he has lost his mind.¡±


    I only folded my hands on my chest. ¡°He loves you.¡±


    Cahan shook his head and pulled Elijah into a hug again. ¡°Don¡¯t you daree to me again with


    your speech on duty and honor! If I ever go berserk again and lose control and if you are the one


    standing between innocent people and me, you HAVE to stop me.¡±


    Elijah hesitated. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯te to that.¡±


    Cahan grabbed his face and added fiercely, ¡°Look at me, El. Look into my eyes.


    Elijah did as Cahan continued, ¡°When I turn into a beast, you do everything you can to stop me from


    hurting others. Even if it means you have to hurt me or kill me. Do you understand?¡±


    Elijah shook his head. ¡°The¡­the ritual¡­was it sessful?¡±


    Cahan¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Don¡¯t try to wriggle out of this, El. I demand an answer.¡±


    Elijah looked at me like a kicked puppy and I went near both of them. ¡°Stop being so harsh on him.


    Can¡¯t you see he got injured, too?¡±


    Cahan pulled his hands away from Elijah and smoothed down his shirt, after which he ced a hand


    on his shoulders.


    ¡°Fine, you want to do this the hard way? I have no issues. If I hurt the innocent, you hurt me or kill me,


    if things start to go out of control. It is an order from your King. Do you understand?¡±


    Elijah fell silent and studied the floor.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Cahan repeated, his temper rising.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Y-yes King.¡±


    Cahan let out a breath. ¡°Good, now go and take a rest. And get yourself checked for injuries or


    infections.¡±


    Elijah knew the more he stayed around, the more displeasing orders he would have to obey, so with a


    quick nod to both Cahan and me, he


    20:46


    disappeared.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Go to your room and sleep.¡± Cahan looked at me and the smile that had


    appeared on my face to see him embrace Elijah got wiped away.


    Rolling my eyes at him, I went to my room and plotted ways to figure out more about the anchor bond.


    B


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    20:46


    ping194 121


    enoviavia


    CIChapt


    The next day binkock on the door woke me up.


    Are you up yet, elenlerle sweet voice of Maria reached my ears.


    leah. i answered half-aslop, tangled in sheets. I was rolling on the bed, illows tacked at derlernty belly


    and one under my head while I had uried myself in the shobiects.


    Hungry at 5?¡± I asked, notounding the drool on my face. A stray lock of air tickled my check so


    opushetedit back and pulled the sheets further pmy head.


    No. I want to sleep. I groaned odiditeted my head to the other side as e light flowing in through the


    windodowawas doo bright for me.


    Ok dear, perhaps you will be up by dinitaMave a good rest.


    27


    e said and began closing the door butehenlifthiteme. She had said ¡®pm¡¯


    dinner.


    forced my eyes open and iny gaze traveled to thehawall clock. It really


    asp


    lot at i minded it this time. I was still feeling weak ab and a little under weather. Probably afterst night.


    be anemories ofst night came flooding to me. The ritual, the way kahaan held my hand, the golden


    crimson wisps, andntichehale drive arkoitune


    at 11, my mind began ying the memory of the way aydingngers felt i mined dahe way he caressed


    my skin on a loop, countidotalithe Meinold dat me with exceptional defail.


    sosini in mot getting any more sleep I mumbled to myselfeinand


    aciest a oranid the batiroom

 Chatper 124

    Chapter 124


    The scent of the shower gels and soaps did not hit me as usual. I nice, as I stripped off and turned the


    shower on.


    I let myself soak in the warm water and reached for the bottle of shower gel with the strongest


    fragrance and held it in front of me.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    The scent was bearable, so I happily took out a bit and began scrubbing myself with the loofah. The


    shower was indulging as I had never let myself allow the luxury of strong scents because Thunder


    would feel nauseated.


    She hadn¡¯t shown up, so I figured she still needed some time to rest. I did not mind that and continued


    showering as the warm water rejuvenated


    my senses.


    After taking a nice shower, I stepped out of the bathroom and took my sweet time drying my hair and


    putting on the moisturizer.


    My skin felt dry, and I had not so much as looked at my reflection in the past few days. It had been just


    fighting and training, so I decided to do the basics at least.


    Somehow, despite the gravity of the task, I felt a certain joy that I was the one who could somehow


    sense when the great and mighty Lycan King would lose his control and stand between him and the


    others.


    It was me who could calm him down, sense his anger, and even channel my own sense of calm and


    peace into him through our anchor bond.


    I felt as if the Moon Goddess had chosen me specifically for this task. I was not his mate, but being his


    anchor was as close as I could get to being


    his mate.


    My mind kept conjuring up scenes where we found out that we were each other¡¯s mates and he would


    look at me with love, not the usual scorn or re he directed at me.


    Smiling to myself, I pulled the doors open and ran my fingers through the number of dresses hanging


    inside. I had never worn most of them or taken them out to admire them.


    But tonight I felt like celebrating a little for achieving an awesome feat. Since, Cahan would definitely


    not be interested in it, I decided to do it all by myself and for myself.


    I pulled out a ck off shoulder dress that wasn¡¯t too short and reached my knees. It had a perfect fit


    but was not skin tight. Feeling happy, I put


    20:46


    apter 124


    The scent of the shower gels and soaps did not hit me as usual. That was nice, as I stripped off and


    turned the shower on.


    I let myself soak in the warm water and reached for the bottle of shower gel with the strongest


    fragrance and held it in front of me.


    The scent was bearable, so I happily took out a bit and began scrubbing myself with the loofah. The


    shower was indulging as I had never let myself allow the luxury of strong scents because Thunder


    would feel nauseated.


    She hadn¡¯t shown up, so I figured she still needed some time to rest. I did not mind that and continued


    showering as the warm water rejuvenated


    my senses.


    After taking a nice shower, I stepped out of the bathroom and took my sweet time drying my hair and


    putting on the moisturizer.


    My skin felt dry, and I had not so much as looked at my reflection in the past few days. It had been just


    fighting and training, so I decided to do the basics at least.


    Somehow, despite the gravity of the task, I felt a certain joy that I was the one who could somehow


    sense when the great and mighty Lycan King would lose his control and stand between him and the


    others.


    It was me who could calm him down, sense his anger, and even channel my own sense of calm and


    peace into him through our anchor bond.


    I felt as if the Moon Goddess had chosen me specifically for this task. I was not his mate, but being his


    anchor was as close as I could get to being


    his mate.


    My mind kept conjuring up scenes where we found out that we were each other¡¯s mates and he would


    look at me with love, not the usual scorn or re he directed at me.


    Smiling to myself, I pulled the doors open and ran my fingers through the number of dresses hanging


    inside. I had never worn most of them or taken them out to admire them.


    But tonight I felt like celebrating a little for achieving an awesome feat. Since, Cahan would definitely


    not be interested in it, I decided to do it all by myself and for myself.


    I pulled out a ck off shoulder dress that wasn¡¯t too short and reached my knees. It had a perfect fit


    but was not skin tight. Feeling happy, I put


    20:46


    on a simple ck bra and panties before slipping into the dress.


    And only now did I truly notice that I was notnky and skinny anymore. Thest few months of


    grueling training and a strict diet had changed my body shape. My body looked more toned, and I had


    filled in a little.


    That felt even nicer as I dried my hair andbed through it. There was a knock on the door again.


    ¡°How long are you going to sleep?¡±


    This time, it was Drusi. Hearing her voice, I ran towards the door and opened it. She had been about


    to say something, but stopped midway.


    And then she let out a low whistle.


    ¡°Ooh,. Who are you and what did you do to my friend?¡± she said, her eyes roaming over me from


    head to toe.


    I did a small twirl and beamed at her. ¡°How do I look?¡±


    ¡°Like a princess¡± She smiled and pulled me into a hug.


    ¡°I just wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday. But my idiotic best friend had to open his mouth


    and ruin my mood.¡±


    I hugged her back. ¡°It is okay. He saved my life, so if I could do anything to save his, I will.¡±


    Drusi replied, ¡°And I see that you are already changing.¡±


    I brushed her off. ¡°I just wanted to pamper myself a little.¡±


    Truth be told, I was dying to see Cahan¡¯s reaction but feared getting all dolled up only for him to


    ignore me.


    So I decided to dress decently so that even if he ignored me, I would just say I felt the need to dress up


    just like that.


    ¡°That you should. And Maria told me you have been locked up in your room sincest night. I wanted to


    check on you, worried that you were sulking¡¯


    39


    I flipped my hair. ¡°Sulk and me? No chance.¡±


    ¡°Well then let¡¯s go have dinner.¡±


    I had not even realized that I had spent almost two hours getting ready and pampering myself.


    20.46


    But it was fine. So, I stepped out with Drusi as she kept chat me about the anchor bond and


    Cahan.


    Every mention of him sent a shiver down my skin. I felt excited to se him and hoped that his mood was


    better now.


    ¡°Did you notice any changes in your mood or his?¡± She asked as we climbed down the stairs.


    ¡°Not really. I was just asleep all day to notice anything. My muscles were feeling sore and my eyelids


    weighed a ton, but now I feel okay.¡±


    I answered.


    ¡°Oh, well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You need to get rest too. I heard how you defeated everyone in the trials.


    Did you get your prize yet?¡±


    She asked. I had totally forgotten about it.


    I had not had time to think about it given the way he had lost control and then wepleted the ritual.


    I had thought of asking him to let me be his anchor if all other methods of convincing him failed, but


    luckily he had given in to our pleading and coaxing.


    My thoughts drifted back to the situation at home and my father. I had not seen him at the trials in the


    rows of spectators, nor had I seen a familiar face at the trials from home to ask how bad the situation


    was.


    We reached the dining table while we talked about various things. Drusi waved at Maria, who was


    holding adle in her hand.


    ¡°Oh, d you woke up the sleeping beauty.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I was just tired,¡± I grumbled as thediesughed.


    My gaze traveled through the wide hall, but there was no sign of Cahan. I frowned.


    It was not as if I had dressed up for him. I told myself and I heard Thunder yawn in my head.


    ¡°Really? Are you always going to show up to mock me?¡± I grumbled, taking out a bit of my frustration at


    her.


    ¡°It is fun,¡± she said and thankfully went quiet.


    20:46


    Our backs were turned to the entrance but I heard Cahan¡¯s voice from a distance, so I turned


    around.


    And sure enough, he walked in through the entrance with a smile. It seemed somebody had just


    cracked a joke.


    I hoped it was Elijah or Matteo, but my mood worsened when I saw Cynthia walk in behind him,


    laughing animatedly.

 Chatper 125

    Chapter 125


    Zenovia


    Cynthia was wearing a long flowy gown with a thigh high slit and stilettos while Cahan was dressed


    in his usual style, a maroon shirt with sleeves rolled up and blue jeans.


    She reached for his elbow whileughing and I tried to shove down the spark of jealousy coursing up


    my veins.


    ¡°I mean, I told you that would happen. But you are just too stubborn.¡± She said, and he replied,


    ¡°Can¡¯t help¡±


    Cynthia closed the distance between them and took his hands in hers while saying, ¡°Well, at least, your


    knuckles don¡¯t look bloodied anymore.¡±


    Cahan did not pull away from her immediately and answered, ¡°I guess my Lycan is back to being a


    docile being.¡±


    They were chatting excitedly, and he seemed to be in a good mood. I did not want to ruin it, so I turned


    around and went inside the kitchen. My stomach rumbled at that point, reminding me that I had not


    eaten anything since morning.


    Jealousy be damned, I needed food, and the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen was not worth


    walking away from the dinner table without having my fill.


    Drusi saw the way I reacted, but did not say a word, and quietly grabbed a chair and sat on it.


    Maria came outside upon hearing their voices while I stayed behind, wanting to calm my nerves. I could


    see the dining table clearly from this angle, though not Cahan and Cynthia.


    ¡°Oh, you have arrived, King. Should I serve dinner for you, too?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Me too?¡±


    Then his gaze drifted to Drusi who was doing something on her phone.


    ¡°Ah, when did youe, Dru? I did not see you.¡±


    08:10


    ¡°I can tell that,¡± She said without taking her eyes off the mobile phone. Guess I was not the only one


    annoyed then.


    Cynthia attempted to pacify Drusi. ¡°Hey Drusi, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Drusi looked up from her phone and gave her an all too sweet smile. ¡°Everything except my mood.¡±


    Ooh. This was getting interesting.


    ¡°Serve dinner to all of us then,¡± Cahan answered Maria, who bowed politely and hurried inside the


    kitchen.


    ¡°Yeah, I am feeling ravenous,¡± Cynthia chimed happily as they both walked towards the table. Either


    they had not noticed me or pretended


    1.


    Not that I cared. I was going to focus on food.


    Soon, Maria brought out some delicious dishes as the dining hall filled with the aroma of tasty, mouth-


    watering food.


    I stayed leaning on the counter, my nails digging into it as Cahan pulled his chair out and sat on it.


    Cynthia was about to be seated when Matteo walked into the living


    room.


    ¡°King, are you alright?¡± He asked worriedly, and approached Cahan.


    ¡°Ah, my brave soldier. Where have you been?¡±


    Matteo bowed and answered, ¡°i was busy with the trials and then we had a small security breach back


    at the packhouse.¡±


    ¡°Was anybody hurt?¡± He asked instantly.


    ¡°Not really. Some newly awakened pups wanted to sneak in and get a tour of the ce. Since they


    were not willing to leave and kept on insisting, I gave them a tour and returned them to their homes


    safely.¡±


    Cahan smiled. ¡°So you are a babysitter now¡±


    ¡°I spoke to them to get some information on the rogue King and his whereabouts. I spent two days


    talking to them and understanding how they feel about the situation.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Cahan asked, reaching for a ss.


    08:10


    apter 125


    ¡°And a few believe their friends were stupid enough to fall for the rogue King¡¯s words. So I was trying to


    coax them into asking more of their estranged friends to return home.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Cahan said, pleased with his efforts.


    ¡°Though, I am sorry, I was not aware of what happened back home. Elijah informed me. I am sorry for


    not being there.¡±


    Cahan waved his hand off. ¡°Its nothing.¡±


    Drusi decided to intervene. ¡°Yeah, he just demolished half the property and almost killed me and El.


    Not much.¡±


    Matteo¡¯s face paled. ¡°Are you alright, King?¡±


    But it was Cynthia who jumped on Cahan, wanting to caress him like a child needing attention.


    ¡°Oh, my Goddess. You did not tell me a word about it.¡± She cooed and tried reaching for his hand


    again.


    And then Drusi muttered, ¡°Of course, I and Elijah are fine. So is Zenovia, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She asked thest question while turning her gaze towards the kitchen. Both Cynthia and Cahan


    followed her gaze, and I gulped nervously when Cahan¡¯s gaze fell on me.


    I saw the way his eyes went wide on seeing me and the way he let his gaze roamzily all over my


    body, starting from my toe and rising up slowly, reaching up to my face.


    I tried not to shiver at the way his eyes red with surprise and then¡­a hint of desire. His nostrils red


    just a little and his eyes darkened while I felt that I was held captive in his gaze.


    Suddenly, I felt as if the dress was too tight and too short and that I needed some air due to the intense


    heat in his eyes.


    My pulse seemed to jump, but I forced myself to slowly walk towards the dining table and pushed the


    hair behind my ears to give my hands something to do.


    Cynthia¡¯s smile was wiped off her face as she regarded me coldly. Maria¡¯s voice broke the silence that


    seemed to stretch forever.


    ¡°The food is going cold. Please start everyone¡±


    08.116


    Cahan nodded at her and went to his chair while Cynthia, too, hastily began to walk by his side.


    However, Matteo grabbed the chair she was nning to sit on and smiled politely at her.


    She awkwardly pulled back, and I recalled what she had said to me a few days ago.


    A slow smile spread on my lips as I squared my shoulders and began walking towards the dining table.


    Cynthia went to the other side of the table and pulled the chair on Matteo¡¯s opposite side and beside


    Cahan, but I cleared my throat.


    ¡°That chair is upied,¡± I said loudly as she ced her hand on it.


    Cynthia gave me a confused look as I went forward and smiled sweetly at her.


    ¡°Did you not hear from Amy? I won the trials.¡± I said, batting my eyshes at her.


    The way her expressions worsened told me she knew what I was talking about.


    ¡°Who is Amy?¡± Drusi asked as I turned to look at her.


    ¡°Oh, one of her friends. Her sister seemed to gang up on me with her friends for no reason, just like


    Amy did at the ball.¡±


    I then turned to look at Cynthia. ¡°Surely you must remember that were with them.¡±


    Cahan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is this true, Cynthia?¡±


    And I loved the way Cynthia began fumbling toe up with an answer.


    ¡°I¡­uh¡­not really¡­Amy bumped into her. It was just a misunderstanding.¡±


    The way her smile disappeared, and she grew flustered made me feel nice. I was not a petty or a mean


    person, but she had driven me up the wall quite a few times already.


    I added in a low whisper, ¡°You better go sit somewhere else, or I have more than enough recollection of


    everything you did or said to me.¡±


    Her eyes grew wide as saucers. She had not expected me to retaliate. Hell,


    08:11


    I had not expected to do that either.


    Somehow my subconscious had been conditioned to endure it all- may it be Sid back home or her


    around Cahan.


    Not anymore.


    Cynthia looked at Cahan for support, but he had begun chatting to Matteo about something.


    ¡°You go girl¡± Thunder beamed at me and I grinned at her, feeling ted.


    Being confident was not so bad or hard, it seemed.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Cynthia¡¯s hand was still on the chair, so I reached for it and pushed it away. ¡°Thest time we were


    here, you reminded me of how the seating arrangement is supposed to follow a hierarchy. You are not


    a member of the pack, while I am not just a lowly wolf-less girl anymore.¡±


    Her face paled even further as I pulled the chair towards me and flipped my hair, Drusi trying to hide


    her smile while pretending to stuff her mouth with the food Maria had served us.


    ¡°B-but, you are still an omega. I¡­I am the future Luna of¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± I asked loud and clear.


    She gulped nervously. ¡°I¡­mean¡­I¡­¡±


    I took a step forward and leaned towards her. ¡°You don¡¯t want to kn what I mean to the Lycan King.¡±


    I whispered and smiled before taking a seat on the chair.


    Drusi finally decided to jump in, ¡°She won the trials. It is her right to be seated beside the Lycan King


    for the dinner tonight. Every winner receives that honor.¡±


    I smiled radiantly at Drusi, who was shaking her head and pretended to cough to hide herughter.


    My gaze flicked to Cahan, and I saw the hint of a smile appear on his lips. I smiled back at him and


    settled on the chair beside him.

 Chatper 126

    Chapter 126


    Zenovia


    Cynthia sat beside Drusi in an awkward silence as Cahan and Matteo began talking about pack


    stuff.


    Meanwhile, I and Drusi focused on the food. She kept grinning at me from time to time and I tried not


    to chuckle.


    I whispered to her. ¡°I did not know you hated her.¡±


    Drusi shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t like gold diggers and anybody with even a shred of sanity can see that she is


    the poster girl for that.¡±


    Drusi only tried to keep her voice down, but I knew she was not making any real effort at hiding it.


    ¡°What happened to ¡®dont fall for Cahan¡±?¡± I asked her, recalling how she asked me several times to


    not harbor any feelings for her best friend.


    ¡°My visions told me it would not be good for you. And I don¡¯t need them to tell me what an arse he is. I


    have known him since childhood. Though, don¡¯t keep too high hopes.¡±


    She suggested and returned to finishing the food off her te.


    I giggled. Did she indirectly permit me to fall in love with Chan? Or maybe she was okay if I ogled at


    him but kept my distance?


    I was unclear on that but I was happy she did not worry about me or my heart that much. Now, if only


    her best friend stopped pushing me away, it would be so nice.


    However, he was the least bothered by my feelings.


    My gaze flicked to Cahan. ¡°But the Lycan King does not seem to mind


    her.¡±


    He was not blind enough to see how she would always try to woo him. But I could not, for the life of me,


    understand why he allowed to be so close to himself.


    He was the Lycan King, for Goddess sake, could he not just shun her or something?


    Drusi cut the piece of steak into a bite sized portion and ced the


    08:461


    fork in her mouth, letting her taste buds savor the appetising dish.


    ¡°You should know one thing about Cahan. He does not mix business and personal life. She is only


    acting as his colleague at best. She knows he does not necessarily like her, but she is ambitious. And


    Cahan likes people who work hard to prove their worth.¡±


    I let out a sigh.


    That was true. I had often seen her in meetings and long discussions with the alphas and Cahan.


    Most girls would only focus on trying to woo him, but she would stand beside him, not just to please


    him, but also offered him suggestions on pack treaties and other tricky subjects I had no idea of


    I only hoped he really saw her just as a work colleague and nothing more. My gaze kept flicking to


    Cahan more often than I cared to admit, and I noticed the injury on his knuckles.


    It was almost gone and from the way he was sitting; it seemed that the injury to his abdomen was not


    hurting him much either.


    Cynthia gave me a side-eye once or twice, but other than that, she focussedpletely on Cahan.


    ¡°Any leads on the Rogue King?¡± He asked Matteo, who stuffed a muffin in his mouth.


    ¡°There was some suspicious activity recorded by one of our patrol guards near our border. I n to go


    there after dinner and check myself.¡±


    Cahan nodded, ¡°I will join you too¡±


    Cynthia suddenly decided to butt in. ¡°But King, you were going toe with me to my ce and talk to


    my father.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. What was her father going to talk about to him?


    Had she already convinced Cahan in some weird marriage contract?


    ¡°Oh about that. I believe there is no need for it¡± Cahan said, taking a sip of water from the ss.


    Cynthia¡¯s face fell. ¡°B-but why? We¡­we need to find a solution soon. And I think my father has the


    best solution to your issues.¡±


    She tried her best to hide it, but she was also eager to show off how she was doing something very


    important.


    08:46


    ¡°Yes, we did have that discussion two nights ago, but the situation was different at that time. I had given


    up on finding another solution that Drusi had proposed. It was risky, but we finally did it.¡±


    Cynthia¡¯s face paled further.


    ¡°It must be risky, King. Please, what my father offered is a way better solutions.¡± She suddenly got


    restless.


    ¡°And what is that, Cynthia?¡± Drusi asked pointedly.


    ¡°Well, my father proposed a meeting with a very powerful witch from farawaynds. He is said to be


    able to find cures for the oldest ailments and bring people back to life, even if they are on the verge of


    death.¡±


    Drusi sped her hands and propped her chin on her knuckles. ¡°Well, I hate to break it to you but


    Cahan is not on the verge of death. Plus, we sessfullypleted the ritual.¡±


    ¡°We? What ritual?¡± She asked, her voice growing more and more small.


    ¡°First you tell me what did your father ask in exchange for arranging the meeting. Oh, let me guess.


    Forcing Cahan into a marriage with you, right?¡±


    I was drinking water to give myself something to do and almost choked on it.


    Drusi was on fire today. Had Maria added extra spice to her dish?


    The look on Cynthia¡¯s face was priceless. ¡°It¡­it was not forcing. We just agreed¡­mutually. Did we not,


    Cal?¡±


    She turned to him for help. But Cahan did not rush to save the damsel in distress.


    ¡°Look Cynthia. I had told you a few hours ago, and I will tell you now again. I don¡¯t have any romantic


    feelings for you. You are smart and you work hard, train harder, but I would suggest you not tie yourself


    to me in a loveless marriage.¡±


    Cahan was being kind and polite, but her expressions worsened as if he had pped her in the face,


    hard.


    ¡°I¡­I would make it work, make our marriage work.¡±


    Drusi sprang up from the chair as if there were springs attached to her feet.


    08:46


    ¡°That is what you are after. Being married to Cahan. You don¡¯t care about the curse or the cure. You


    just want to be his Luna and sit on the throne beside him.¡±


    At that, Cynthia too got up from her seat.


    ¡°Look Drusi, I have been listening to your rambling for quite some time, but that does not mean I will


    continue doing that. You better not get on my wrong side.¡±


    There was a low key threat in her voice. Drusi rolled her sleeves up and mmed her ss on the


    table with more force than necessary.


    ¡°Yeah? Or what?¡±


    ¡°Or I will skin you alive.¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH!!¡± Cahan¡¯s voice rang out through the hall, silencing both girls in one clear order.


    ¡°Ladies. If you cannot have dinner peacefully, take your catfight somewhere else,¡± He said in a cold


    voice that told him he would not tolerate their bickering.


    The two eyed each other like angry cats, but Drusi was the first to calm down and take a seat beside


    him.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    And she leaned even closer to him than necessary, annoying Cynthia


    even more.


    I saw the way Cynthia tried hard to not flip out and directed her focus to Cahan. ¡°King, I implore you


    to at least consider meeting the witch. It is never too bad to have more than one solution to a problem.¡±


    ¡°I will think about it,¡± He said, giving her some relief.


    She eyed Drusi as if she had just redeemed herself, but Drusi gave her a coy smile and loudly


    said,


    ¡°Even if she threatened your anchor under this very roof?¡± She said and Cahan¡¯s gaze flicked to his


    best friend and then to me.


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chatper 127

    Chapter 127


    Cynthia must be cursing herself for opening her mouth and trying to show off a few seconds


    ago.Drusi had always been tolerant of her and patient, so I did not know why she was acting like this.


    However, Drusi was the least of my worries. Cahan¡¯s gaze rested on me, demanding more


    exnation about what his best friend had just blurted a few moments ago.


    ¡°Uh¡­I told you it was just a misunderstanding.¡± Cynthia tried to quickly grab her purse and leave, but


    Cahan raised his voice again.


    ¡°I dont remember asking you to leave.¡± His cold voice reached Cynthia, who yed with the strap of


    her dress, not knowing what to do.


    ¡°Now, Ms. Zenovia Archer, would you please be kind enough to borate on what my best friend said


    just now?¡±


    I looked at Cynthia, who was staring daggers at me, but he spoke to me again.


    ¡°Look at me!!¡±


    I almost jumped out of my skin, but did as he asked.


    ¡°Did anybody threaten you


    under my


    my roof?¡±


    He asked, and I pushed my


    hair behind my ears.


    ¡°Uh, well, Cynthia has been bullying me for a long time.¡± I said and took a pause, but Cahan only


    looked at me as if he wanted to hear more.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Um, she kept on threatening me that she was going to be the Luna and I was, at the most, your


    breeder, so I should not¡­have any romantic thoughts about you.¡±


    A muscle in his jaw twitched, and I did not like the way his expressions worsened.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And¡­uh¡­and she and her friends bullied me at the ball as well. They hit me a few times and warned


    me to stay away from you.¡±


    08:54


    Chapter 127.


    Cahan grabbed the fork lying next to his dish and was twirling it in his hands.


    ¡°They hit you? Knowing that you are my pack member, and that you are under my protection?¡±.


    Cynthia began to sweat, and I saw the way her breathing grew ragged.


    ¡°It was not like that, King. She tripped, and the wine fell on her dress and¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not talk to me unless I ask you to!!¡± He mmed his hand on the table and Cynthia fell silent.


    ¡°Sooo, Zenovia, go on¡­¡±


    I felt ufortable under his gaze, but I could not defy his order. And the way he stood up for me gave


    me the courage to confront her again.


    My earlier boost of confidence had drizzled when she mentioned their marriage, but now with him


    demanding the truth, it came roaring back.


    ¡°Yes. Cynthia hates me and thinks I am getting in her way of bing your Luna. She is deceitful,


    conniving, and many times tried to harm me. She pretended to be nice to me in front of others, but


    when it was just me and her, she would threaten and bully me.¡±


    Cahan twirled the fork in his hand again. ¡°When was thest time she did it?¡±


    My gaze flicked to the wall clock hanging behind him. ¡°Around half an hour ago or so.¡±


    ¡°And you kept silently enduring all of it?¡± He asked, leaving me stunned.


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    He balled his hands into fists. ¡°All those weeks of training, all of your stubbornness to not listen to me


    when I ask you to not to


    something¡­why did that evaporate when you faced her?¡±


    Cahan asked.


    I had been thinking that he would reprimand Cynthia for her actions and punish her. But he was asking


    me some very pointed questions.


    ¡°I¡­she is working closely with you. She helped you create all the uses and stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°How does that equal to you allowing anybody to trample you?¡±


    His question was blunt to the point of being rude.


    He then looked at Cynthia. ¡°I hate bullies because they pick on weak people. But I also hate those who


    never raise their voice against those bullies and endure everything quietly. If you cannot stand up for


    yourself, how are you going to help me break the curse, Zenovia?¡±


    His question made me rethink my decisions about staying quiet against Cynthia.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Consider this as a test. She is an enemy who is torturing you and you have to escape her clutches and


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I looked from Cynthia to him and back at her again. Was he really asking me to fight her in the middle


    of the dining hall?


    ¡°I¡­I will fight her.¡±


    ¡°How? By enduring her hatred and crying silently like you are some weak crybaby?¡±


    ¡°I am not a crybaby.¡±


    ¡°What else should I think of you, Zenovia? A girl who is not even a member of your packes to you


    and threatens you on a regr basis¡­under your pack¡¯s roof and you let her. She is not at fault if she


    did that, you know?¡±


    He said and smiled at Cynthia. His words left all of us confused.


    What was he trying to do here?


    ¡°Weaklings have no ce in my pack. If you were weeding them out, I appreciate your effort.¡±


    He said, taking her by surprise.


    ¡°Uh¡­thank you, my King,¡± she said, not understanding where the conversation was headed to.


    ¡°I am not a weakling,¡± I said, coiling my hands into fists.


    Cahan proceeded to continue eating and took a bite from his dish, that had certainly gone cold by


    now.


    It is a shame, honestly. I am now second-guessing my decision of allowing her to be my anchor. If she


    cannot even help herself, how will she be of any use to me?¡±


    He said, eyeing Matteo, who only looked at me helplessly.


    ¡°I AM NOT A WEAKLING¡±


    I said, my voice climbing an octave as I stormed away from the table and went to stand in front of him.


    I was shaking with anger, but he dismissed me with one look.


    ¡°You cannot defeat her. You can¡¯t even touch her without Cynthia beating you to a pulp.¡±


    He said, and I lost my self-restraint.


    I walked towards Cynthia who was smiling at me smugly. ¡°What? You think a chance against me, girl?


    The King is right.¡±


    She said, flipping her hair and I walked towards her, raising my hand and I did not even realize when


    my palm connected with her cheek as the sound of a loud p reverberated through the hall.


    ¡°Ouch¡± Drusi muttered but did not make a move to get in between us.


    Cynthia grit her teeth and muttered, ¡°you filthy breeder¡­¡±


    But before she couldplete her line and reach for my throat, I tackled her by raising my knee and


    hitting her in the abdomen.


    ¡°K-King, they are fighting in the middle of the hall¡­.¡± Matteo said, but Cahan only raised his hand to


    ask him to not worry and sit down.


    Cynthia reached for my hair, but I turned around and pushed my leg under hers, hitting the back of her


    knee as her left leg went limp.


    She let out a groan as I grabbed her by the waist and kicked her legs again, making her lose bnce.


    She tried grabbing at my dress for support, but I let go of her waist as she mmed into the floor, face


    down.


    ¡°You should learn to shut up,¡± I said, my breathingbored as she writhed on the floor, hurt and


    humiliated.


    Cynthia jumped up again on the floor and reached for a fork to hit me,


    but I ducked and elbowed her in the abdomen before grabbing her head and hitting it on the back of the


    chair.


    A loud thudding sound told me she had hit it quite hard, but she was not ready to give up.


    ¡°You¡­.¡±


    She reached for my arms, but I grabbed hers in one hand and held them in front of me.


    ¡°Yes, me, Zenovia Archer, the anchor of the Lycan King and his pack member. You learn to respect me


    if you ever want to set foot in this vi again.¡±


    I said and before she could retaliate; I head butted her, my forehead mming into hers as she reeled


    back from the impact.


    ¡°Oof¡± Drusi muttered as I saw Cynthia¡¯s vision slowly grow hazy and let go of her hands, making her


    clumsily fall down on the floor again.


    A faint smile appeared on my lips and I stepped back, wiping the sweat off my forehead.


    I had hit her. No, I had not just hit her but put her in her ce.


    My gaze flicked to Cahan, who raised a ss of wine and took a sip from it, apparently pleased with


    my ¡®performance¡¯.

 Chatper 128

    Chapter 128


    Zenovia


    We had the dinner and post that Cahan left the table when Matteo asked for his time to discuss


    something.


    I took that opportunity and grabbed Drusi¡¯s arm, dragging her away.


    ¡°Tell me what you saw.¡±


    I demanded, and she furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Girl, calm down.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°You were being very snarky to Cynthia. You never did that. And I know you don¡¯t act


    like this unless something is troubling you.¡±


    I said, rubbing the part over my wrist where the anchor bond was located.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Zee. I was just trying to make him see what a lousy person she is.¡±


    I gave her a meaningful look. ¡°I have a feeling you saw something in your visions. Something about him


    and me. So tell me what it is.¡±


    I urged.


    Drusi let out a breath, ¡°It is nothing. I told you sometimes those are meaningless. The visions are of


    the many possibilities that could ur.¡±


    ¡°I know that. But you don¡¯t necessarily act on them. So tell me what is it that you saw.¡±


    Drusi hesitated. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Cahan.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. There was something about him.¡±


    Drusi looked around to see if there was somebody hearing us and then pulled me to a corner.


    ¡°I am not sure what to make of it. While I waspleting the ritual, I saw shes of something.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    She tensed. ¡°I am not sure what to make of it. But you remember the statues behind us¡­when we


    were doing the ritual?¡±


    105503


    I nodded. She had mentioned they belonged to the Norns, a trio of ancient deities known to be


    harbingers of fate.


    When I was performing the ritual, I sensed as if the statues¡­they were trying tomunicate with me.


    My eyebrows furrowed as I felt an uneasy sensation prickle my spine.


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°The Norns¡­they are three beings representing each phase of our life. Past is represented by Urd,


    present by Verdandi, and future by Skuld. I did not find many descriptions or illustrations of them in the


    books but they all seem to hold the threads that decide the fate of everybody.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And it seemed that your fate is tangled with Cahan.¡±


    That made sense. I was his anchor so somehow I was tied to him and


    him to me.


    ¡°Yeah, that is possible. We will work together now¡­to fight his curse.¡±


    But Drusi shook her head. ¡°In my vision, it seemed that all the three deities were holding the threads


    of your fate together. And, it was incredibly tangled. Not just your future, but your past and present too.¡±


    How could that be possible?


    I had not even seen Cahan before he came to my school. How could my past be tied to him?


    But even if that was the case, it was not worth worrying. We could figure it outter, or maybe it was


    just that her visions were not that correct. She said quite a few times that they were mere possibilities.


    I reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°You worry needlessly. It could be just a vision.¡±


    She nodded, but her face was notpletely worry free.


    ¡°Is there something else that you saw?¡±


    She pressed her lips into a thin line. ¡°I well the third deity, Skuld¡­the


    one responsible for writing our future she had only one thread in her hand. And¡­and I don¡¯t know


    whose it was.¡±


    017


    10.55


    She said, and I could see why she got all worked up.


    I took a moment to collect myself. ¡°It is ok, Dru. These could just be one of the many infinite


    possibilities. Rx.¡±


    I said, and she nodded her head. ¡°You are probably right. I just got paranoid that Cynthia would either


    hurt you or Cahan, mostly you, because she hates you, so I just wanted her gone.¡±


    It felt nice to think that she was worried about me.


    ¡°Thank you, Dru. Now, I think you should get some sleep. I will too.¡±


    Drusi nodded her head, ¡°Tomorrow we try to figure out a way for you to channel your calmness into


    him and see if you can sense his mood swings.¡±


    ¡°No pressure,¡± I replied, and she chuckled before walking away.


    The inside of my wrist felt itchy again, so I scratched it a little and went towards my room.


    After closing the door and switching off the lights, I crawled into the bed and tucked myself in the


    sheets.


    I had barely closed my eyes when I heard a faint knocking on the window. I got up and peered at the


    window, but there was nothing.


    Shaking my head, I went back to bed again. But after a few seconds, I again heard a knock. It was a bit


    more persistent this time.


    Stifling a yawn, I went towards the window and attempted to close it, but it flew wide open, rattling on


    the wall behind it.


    That was weird. There were no strong winds blowing in my face to make the window pane rattle. I took


    a step forward, and I felt a tug at the base of my navel again, as if somebody was trying to pull me


    towards the forest.


    I furrowed my eyebrows, not because I felt a sharp pull towards the forest, but because it seemed that


    this feeling wasn¡¯t alien.


    Why did I feel I had already sensed this before? I did not have any recollection of this feeling.


    Intrigued, I decided to step out of the mansion, since it waste at night and everybody had retired to


    sleep.


    10:55


    Grabbing a coat to cover myself, I walked down the stairs and in the direction of the forest through the


    small gates on the side.


    I stepped outside the gates and immediately sensed a difference in the atmosphere around me. The air


    seemed chilly, and the forest seemed spooky to me.


    I looked back and the mansion walls could be seen behind me. I took a tentative step in the direction of


    the forest and I heard the rustling of leaves.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    I called out loudly, though my voice sounded shaky to me. I had second thoughts of running away but


    Thunder fueled me with some confidence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you are not alone.¡±


    ¡°I know. There is someone in the forest,¡± I countered and she snorted.


    ¡°I meant you have me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, to bolt to our room if anything goes wrong.¡±


    I heard her scoff in my head whimsically and fall silent as I made my way in the direction of the tug,


    pulling me into the forest.


    A rustle of leaves from behind made me turn around hurriedly.


    ¡°Please. Show yourself.¡±


    I tried again, and the rustling of the leaves seemed to intensify. I had a feeling that someone was


    circling me.


    This time I heard a voice talk to me, a female voice.


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    ¡°I see that you did not pay heed to my warning.¡±


    ¡°What warning? I am seeing you for the first time¡­or not seeing you¡­¡±


    I looked around in confusion again, getting mildly irritated as to why the person was being so cryptic. It


    was the voice of a woman, deep and mysterious.


    ¡°Look, if you are a rogue trying to harm me, you better step out and fight me head on.¡±


    But the woman beganughing, a deepughter that echoed through the forest and was magnified


    when it reached me.


    10.55


    ¡°I am no rogue. And I am not trying to harm you..¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want from me? I¡­I felt a pull towards the forest. Was it you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was me. I tried to warn youst time that Cahan was not trustworthy but you did not listen to


    me. Now, you have just invited trouble and chaos in your life by bing his anchor.¡±


    My eyes went wide at that.


    As far as I knew, Cahan had not made the news public yet. Or maybe it was Cynthia who had spread


    it like wildfire after I humiliated her. But


    that incident had merely urred a few hours ago.


    Did news travel so fast?


    ¡°How¡­how do you know about it?¡±


    I asked but in response, she said, ¡°I have my ways. Now, answer one question for me.¡±


    I gulped as the voice grew ominous.


    ¡°How much do you trust the Lycan King?¡±


    The answer was automatic. ¡°I trust him with my life.¡±


    The voice beganughing again, as if it was some big joke.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± I asked, and she responded, ¡°Because, your choice of words is quite¡­


    interesting. There is something I would like you to show.¡±


    ¡°Show me something? Yes, I want to see you, or at least give me your name.¡±


    I said but there was a huge swoosh of leaves as if the wind was whipped by an invisible force and then


    I saw Cahan suddenly appear in front of

 Chatper 129

    Chapter 129


    Zenovia


    ¡°Cahan!¡± I cried out and tried to reach for him, but it was as if I could not move. I felt I was rooted to


    my spot and could not take a step forward.


    Some invisible barrier seemed to block my way ahead.


    ¡°Cahan!! Look at me!!¡± I cried again, and it was then that I realized that my voice was not reaching


    him.


    In fact, he was not even looking at me. He had his back turned to me and was staring into nothingness.


    The skies above grew turbulent and the clear sky became angry as ck clouds and swirls of winds


    appeared out of nowhere.


    The winds were roaring loudly as I saw the scene before me grow hazy. I tried to focus on Cahan,


    but he seemed to watch the turbulence with a detached longing.


    ¡°Cahan!! Watch out!!¡± I cried and banged my hands on the invisible walls, but the attempt was futile.


    I tried speaking to the voice, ¡°What is going on? What is the meaning of all this?¡± but again was met


    with silence.


    Somehow, my voice wasn¡¯t reaching the other side, but I could see and hear whatever was going on


    the other side of the invisible wall pretty clearly.


    I moved to the side to get a better view of what was going on.


    The winds stopped roaring fiercely for a second and I saw the shadows of someone, a girl, looking at


    him.


    She had a pale face but was very beautiful. Her long hair cascaded down her back and the long ck


    dress she was wearing entuated her figure


    even more.


    Cahan slowly reached for her face as tears were streaming down the face of the girl. There was


    some distance between them and the girl was limping, her feet unsteady as she took one step after


    another at him.


    I saw the way her hands clutched her stomach and she let out a pained


    10:45


    whimper.


    ¡°Cal¡­¡± she said weakly, and he immediately went towards her. He cradled her in his arms, scooping


    her up in his embrace but his legs were shaking


    too.


    He could not carry the weight of both of them so he fell down on the ground, holding her in his arms.


    ¡°Shh, it is okay¡­¡± She said as she attempted to smile at him. Cahan was crying, tears streaming


    down his face as he gingerly reached for her hand and cupped her face with the other.


    ¡°I¡­I am sorry¡± He said but the girl did not seem angry at him. He was sobbing pitifully and reached for


    the wound on her stomach that was oozing out with blood.


    Soon his clothes and hands became smeared with blood.


    ¡°All of this¡­this is my fault. You should not be paying the price for this¡± He said, and I saw the way his


    voice cracked.


    There was a raw pain in his voice and I was ashamed of the way a hot wave of jealousy coursed up my


    spine.


    I had no idea who the girl was or what was her rtionship with Cahan but I noticed the way he was


    caressing her, crying for her.


    She seemed to be on the verge of death and based on his reaction; he seemed to care for the girl


    dearly.


    He pulled the young woman close when she took a raspy breath and pushed the hair stered to her


    forehead back, wiping the sweat off h face.


    ¡°Please, I need you. You cannot leave me.¡± He said between sobs.


    The girl smiled at him or tried to.


    ¡°I will always be with you¡­¡± she said and then slowly raised her hand to touch his chest, right near his


    heart.


    ¡°¡­in here¡­¡±


    And I had been so focused on the two that I did not even see a figure a few feet away from them.


    The figure was d in a long, flowy robe, all ck, and was hovering in


    10:45


    the air as if looking down at them.


    The figure made no attempt to help the wounded or appease the


    distraught. It only stayed where it was, staring at the two beings down on the ground impassively.


    I tried to get a good look at the figure, but the hood was lowered enough to hide the face. There was a


    staff in the figure¡¯s hand, a long one.


    From what I could make of it, it appeared to be wooden, but I could not be sure.


    The figure slowly began raising its hand, holding the staff. The hand was wearing long gloves, all ck,


    and the tip of the staff was pointed at the two beings down on the ground.


    ¡°Please, can you not see her pain? That was no fault of hers. Please, I beg you to save her.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Cahan pleaded and, for the first time, I heard the raw hurt and desperation in his voice. He was


    always standing tall and proud, and his voice would sound arrogant, but only now did he sound weak,


    like someone who had already given up.


    ¡°I had warned you not to meddle in things that you have no business with. Yet, you kept doing it. The


    result is in front of you.¡±


    The voice said coldly.


    Cahan growled, ¡°She is not at fault for this. I was the culprit. So please spare her. Take my life


    instead.¡±


    The woman made no effort to console him.


    ¡°I cannot. You have already risked too much. I cannot bring her back, for it will disturb the bnce of


    nature. You have tipped the weighing scale to the wrong side. I can only try restoring some bnce.¡±


    Wiping the tears off his face, he asked, ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°By helping her on the journey to the afterlife. Her soul is in pain. I can ease it a little.¡±


    ¡°NOOOO!!¡± He roared and began sobbing again. The pain was too much to bear for him.


    He held the woman close and tried to speak, but he saw the way her eyelids were drooping and she


    was starting to have difficulty breathing.


    375


    10:45


    ¡°Please, Aisy, I cannot live without you?¡± Cahan cried, but the girl, Aisy, reached for his cheek and


    caressed it.


    ¡°You are strong. You know that¡±


    She said while adding, ¡°But now I have to go. Let me, Cal.¡±


    Cahan cried bitterly and kissed the back of her hand as he looked up at the hooded figure hovering


    above them.


    ¡°Help her¡­.in any way you can.¡±


    The robed woman raised her staff and pointed at Aisy or her abdomen to be specific from where the


    blood was oozing out.


    She waved her staff into the air a few times and something strange began to happen.


    Wisp like threads began to emerge out of Aisy¡¯s body, rising up in the air. I watched in a daze as those


    tendrils kept flowing up and toward the tip of -the staff.


    They began traveling up in the air, rising from the tip of her foot to her head, glowing ethereally. They


    drifted in the direction of the wand like . weightless clouds, joining each other until they formed a small


    sphere.


    The sphere was glowing in the same iridescent light and it slowly reached the tip of the wand as Aisy


    went limp in Cahan¡¯s hands.


    I watched the scene with my mouth wide open as the scene before me disappeared. I had been


    leaning on the invisible barrier, so when it disappeared, I fell down on the forest floor, face down.


    ¡°Wh-what did I just watch? Who was that girl? And¡­and the witch¡­the hooded figure, was it you?¡±


    I asked, looking around aimlessly. I slowly got up from the ground as the voice answered me.


    ¡°That is the fate of those who try to help the Lycan King. It is still not toote, if you love your life, break


    the anchor bond and leave him.¡±


    She said and just like that the chilly air returned to normal and the dark gloomy fog surrounding me


    cleared, letting the moonlight fall on the ground again.


    Author¡¯s note: This chapter is connected to a chapter that was written quite a while ago. Does anybody


    remember which one it is?

 Chatper 130

    Chapter 130


    Zenovia


    My breathing was ragged, and I had trouble focusing on the surroundings. My legs were wobbly as I


    paved my way through the forest, trying not to trip.


    The scene I had seen with my own eyes¡­it had left me shaken. Who was that girl? And why had she


    died?


    Based on the appearance of the hooded figure in the scene and the one hovering in front of me, it


    seemed that both of them were the same.


    The witch was there when the girl, Aisy, died. And¡­Cahan looked utterly distraught when she was


    injured and taking herst breaths.


    What could be the cause of her death? He had argued with the witch that it was not Aisy¡¯s fault, but


    that it was his.


    And the witch said that I had to leave him if I did not want to suffer the same fate. Why did she say


    that?


    And why not show me her face or reveal her identity? There were so many questions in my head, each


    thought more confusing than the other.


    Clutching my chest, I slowly made my way toward the mansion walls and back to the huge front yard.


    It was still night time, and the coast was clear, so I slipped in through the gates and headed straight to


    my room.


    My throat felt dry, and I was sweating profusely. Taking the support of the walls and the railing, I slowly


    made my way towards the kitchen and opened the fridge..


    Instead of taking a ss to pour some water in it, I directly put the bottle to my mouth after removing


    the cap, gulping down as if I had run a marathon.


    By the time I finished drinking the water, my breathing had calmed down a little. Wiping my face with


    the back of my hand, I refilled the empty bottle and put it back in the fridge.


    I gave a startled cry when I saw a familiar face staring at me when I closed the fridge door.


    10:45


    ¡°Goddess, you startled me,¡± I said.


    Cahan smiled, ¡°I was feeling thirsty too¡±


    He said and grabbed a bottle from the fridge while studying me. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I was not. But I was not sure if he would answer me.


    ¡°Not really,¡± I answered, and he asked again, ¡°Nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Who is Aisy?¡± I blurted out without thinking and he almost sprayed the water he was about to swallow


    on my face.


    Narrowing his eyes, he looked at me. ¡°Where did you even hear that name?¡±


    He countered, and I replied, ¡°That is not an answer to my question.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    cing the bottle on the table, he asked, ¡°Did you meet someone? Is someone messing with your


    head, Zee?¡±


    He grabbed my shoulders and inspected me, but I pushed his hand away.


    ¡°Answer me first. Your reaction tells me that she was real. That I did not imagine everything.¡±


    Cahan ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Imagine what? Speak clearly, Zee.¡±


    ¡°I saw someone¡­or I didn¡¯t see someone to be honest. But this person showed me a scene in which a


    girl died and you begged that person, who I assume is a witch, to save the girl. But the witch only said


    that she would help Aisy in her journey to the afterlife.¡±


    I said and Cahan¡¯s face drained of all color.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± I asked, and he tried to pacify me. ¡°Look Zee, your nightmare was really bad. You should


    rest and-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I said with much more anger than I felt.


    ¡°I agreed to be your anchor, and you agreed to not keep any secrets. Please Cahan, I cannot help


    you if you keep hiding things from me.¡±


    ¡°Zee, you just became my anchor. You need time to adjust and-¡±


    But I cut him again, ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me, I will go find answers on my own. Isn¡¯t it better that you tell me


    things yourself?¡±


    10:45


    Cahan let out a defeated sigh and answered, ¡°You will not like the


    answers, Zee. That is the only reason I don¡¯t wish to burden you with that information.¡±


    At least, he did not deny answering me this time.


    ¡°I can handle it, whatever you wish to share. I would rather not live in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Fine then. But not here. Let us go to my office.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s shoulders slumped, and he guided me to his office, holding my hand with his. He held my


    hand firmly, letting his fingers intertwine with mine. It was not as if I would run away somewhere or he


    would lose me, but the way he held my hand told me he was afraid of what was going to happen next.


    That made me nervous, but I was more curious to find out about the witch and if whatever she showed


    me was the truth.


    Our footsteps fell softly on the carpet as we climbed up the stairs and he opened the door of the office.


    Making me sit on one of the chairs, he pulled another in front of me and took both of my hands in his.


    ¡°The scene that you saw¡­it was real. The girl that you saw in it was real, too. I have been avoiding


    telling you a big secret of my life all this time because I did not know if you could handle it. But I believe


    Mirabel decided to take matters into her own hands.¡±


    Cahan said, as he gently brushed his thumb over the inside of my


    wrist.


    ¡°Who is Mirabel?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The witch who showed you the memory. She is the high sorceress and used to be an ally.¡±


    ¡°A witch? I did not think witches existed. They are folklore.¡±


    Cahan gave a humorless chuckle. ¡°So who do you think still has the power to put hexes and curses


    on living beings and inanimate objects alike?¡±


    I fumbled, ¡°I¡­I thought you did something against the wish of this witch and she was the one to curse


    you.¡±


    10:45


    He shook his head, ¡°Nope. Selene left me to fend for myself long ago, like an abandoned child. Mirabel


    waged a war against Selene, who used her children as a pawn in it. Countless people lost their lives,


    entire races were wiped and the werewolf poption almost came to an extinction.¡±


    Cahan continued with a grim face.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I am a Lycan and I was chosen as the Lycan King. Do you know who chose me to be fit enough for


    that title?¡± He asked.


    I had never really thought about it.


    ¡°I was an ordinary werewolf once, loyal andpassionate. I belong to the ¡®First Children¡¯, the first


    werewolves that were created by Selene to thwart Mirabel.¡±


    ¡°Selene specially created you?¡± I asked, confusion evident on my face.


    ¡°Sounds too good to be true, right? The rivalry between Mirabel and Selene goes back to ancient


    times. Mirabel wanted Selene¡¯s throne and a loyal army of followers so she created more witches while


    Selene realized that ordinary werewolves did not stand a chance against the powerful witches and


    wizards. So, she created lycans, ¡®The First Children¡¯ to fight the battle for her. And I was their king and


    Cahan had a faraway look in his eyes as he continued to exin.


    ¡°We were designed to kill, to hurt, and maim people. We were awarded superior strength, better


    reflexes, and faster speed to hunt Mirabel¡¯s forces, to kill them so that Selene could establish her


    dominion over.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t believe this. Selene is our Goddess, Cal. She can never be so selfish, so cunning.¡±


    Cahan scoffed, ¡°Selfishness is not a human trait. Even Gods and demons have emotions and


    feelings, even they are driven by greed and hunger for power.¡±


    I cast him a worried nce as he continued, ¡°Reality is stranger than fiction. But, to give you the most


    basic truth, it was not Mirabel, the witch who cursed me, but Selene, your beloved Moon Goddess


    herself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chatper 131

    Chapter 131


    Zenovia


    I stared at Cahan in shock, my ears ringing.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You should see your face. Your expression is priceless.¡± Cahan chuckled, but I found nothing funny


    about the way he casually dropped the bomb upon me.


    ¡°Are you really sharing the truth with me? Selene¡­the Moon Goddess. She cursed you?¡±


    Cahan let his back rest on the chair and looked at the ceiling. ¡°What would I get by feeding you with


    lies?¡±


    He countered. I had opened my mouth to say something, but I closed it abruptly.


    His reality was even absurder than some of the crazy theories I had heard about his curse. Some said


    he was cursed by a witch for some facy while others said that he killed his loved ones so fate worked


    against him.


    But nothing I had heard so far came even remotely close to the reality he was sharing with me.


    ¡°How old are you, exactly?¡± I asked, my foot tapping restlessly on the floor and a slow grin appeared on


    his face.


    ¡°Of all the questions I thought you would ask me, this did not make the list.¡±


    I frowned, folding my hands over my chest. I was not sure if I was ready to ask him the other questions.


    My mind was still reeling from the information dump.


    So, I replied sarcastically, trying to hide my nervousness.


    ¡°That does not answer my question.¡±


    Why was he suddenly being cheeky? Was that a way to show how unbothered he was with the secrets


    he was uncovering? An attempt to hide his true grief and emotions by acting like he did not care?


    Cahan let out a sigh.


    11:34 W3


    ¡°I said I am the only one left from ¡°The First Children¡¯, so you have to guess how old that makes me.¡±


    My eyes grew as wide as saucers. I did not want to calcte. My brain was trying to process a lot at


    the moment.


    Seeing my perplexed expressions, he added,


    ¡°I am older than most of the living creatures walking this earth. I am the unlucky one who survived while


    everyone I knew died. Well, most of them. I did not exactly keep track of the new lycans that Selene


    kept creating to add numbers to our army.¡±


    Cahan said, as his hands coiled into fists.


    ¡°You are immortal?¡±


    I asked with a disbelieving look.


    ¡°I wish you paid more attention to what I have been telling you.¡± He sighed again and raked a hand


    through his hair, letting his long hair fall to the sides in a messy way.


    I had the urge to touch the hair and rake my fingers through that silky mane, but resisted. I could not


    distract him right now. Or myself. I did not know when he would open up again if I did what my heart


    wanted me to do to him. With him.


    Cahan¡¯s face was pained, and every word he spoke was like a


    self-inflicted wound. The more I asked, the more his cool facade seemed to be slipping away. It was


    visible in his bodynguage, though he tried to maintain a neutral tone.


    ¡°I have been living with this knowledge, this burden for years. Not many know why I am cursed or what


    exactly happened all those years ago. I believe you are the first one I opened up to.¡±


    Cahan revealed, and I looked at him with a look of pure surprise. Not that my expressions had been


    any different for the past thirty minutes or so since he started speaking.


    ¡°Not even Dru? How about Matteo and Elijah?¡± I asked. They had been living with him for years and


    were his loyal warriors and friends. Surely, I thought, he must have told them. But his answer was the


    exact opposite of my assumption.


    ¡°Neither of them. They all believe the same thing, that some witch cursed


    11:54


    1. And I let them.¡±


    ¡°But why? You told me that they keep looking for a solution and you know how dejected they feel to not


    be able to help you. So why do you let them follow false leads?¡± I blurted out.


    Cahan mmed his hand on the chair. ¡°Because I cannot tell them. The curse forbade me to tell


    anybody anything. And think about it, Zee. What should I tell them? That their precious Selene cursed


    me? Should I tell them that the Goddess they pray to day and night to help them find a cure for me is


    the one who put me in such peril?¡±


    I could only stare at him in shock.


    Of all the things I had learned about him, this was beyond my wildest. imagination. At this point, I was


    just bbering things that popped up in my mind.


    ¡°But¡­Drusi¡­she gets visions. She sees shes of things revolving around you¡­..why did you never


    tell her? She works day and night to find a cure and you hide such a huge secret from her, from your


    loyal


    warriors.¡±


    Cahan grabbed my hand and shook me, as if to pull me to my senses.


    ¡°You are not listening. I said the curse forbid me to speak of the details. Telling anyone about it would


    mean their death. I could not tell them the truth and see them die. I am selfish, Zee. I have been the


    reason for countless deaths, and I live with that guilt every day. I cannot bear to live with the thought of


    causing them harm. I would not be able to forgive myself if anything happened to my people.¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Cahan leaned forward and ced his forehead on mine. I saw the way his face looked more and


    more troubled. He got up from the chair and walked towards the side table, grabbed a bottle of whisky


    and poured some for himself into a ss.


    ¡°I¡­I have not spoken about all this in ages¡­or in forever. Those were the dark days and there was


    nothing but blood and massacre all around me. We would keep fighting and the pile of dead bodies


    always kept increasing. Selene¡­she was obsessed with taking Mirabel down, but Mirabel¡¯s witches


    and wizards had something we didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My voice was barely a whisper.


    He let out a humorless chuckle. ¡°A protector, Selene did not care about


    11:54 W


    apter 131


    those who died fighting for her. The severely injured were discarded as easily as the dead and she kept


    creating more lycans than tending to those who were injured.¡±


    He took a pause to look at me, knowing how I was an ardent believer in the Moon Goddess. Every


    werewolf was. We worshiped Selene like a mother and prayed to her for our well-being. I knew


    Cahan was not lying. I knew it with an unwavering certainty. His eyes spoke to me, not just his mouth


    and I could see how much it was hurting him to make this admission¡­but to hear that the Goddess you


    worshipped all your life could have been so cruel¡­it was jarring.


    Cahan kept sharing the incidents of his past as I sat staring at him, opening my mouth several times


    but closing it again when I would turn speechless.


    I racked my brain but could not find the right words to console him, to find a way to calm him down.


    ¡°Days would turn into nights as the witches and wizards would try horrible magic spells on us to slow us


    down, to thwart our advances. In return, Selene gave us inhuman strength, lightning fast reflexes and


    turned us into monsters that could fight for hours without feeling pain.¡±


    Cahan took a sip from his ss and looked outside the window, particrly toward the sky where the


    moon was shining brightly.


    We all believed Selene resided in her pce on the moon. But C story told me it was the truth, though


    not as sweet and fluffy as w believed it to be.


    ¡°I saw several of myrades die horrifying deaths. We were all bl with high resistance to pain and


    could keep fighting despite severe wounds. But even then¡­at some point, the body would give up. I¡­I


    sa my loyal warriors bleed to death and the life slowly seep out of their ey as I would just sit and watch.


    That was all I could do.¡±


    ¡°Did¡­ Selene not provide healers? Magic potions or something?¡± I asked, though based on his


    answers so far, I knew that was not the case.


    My heart was finding it hard to believe my Goddess could be like this.


    Cahan kept staring at the moon as if he was using Selene from earth, and she was silently


    hearing him.


    ¡°She did absolutely nothing but make us fight until we died. Sometimes, I


    11:54


    truly wish I would have died in those battles, too.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that, Cal.¡± I tried to not sob at the thought of not having him around me.


    He kept staring at the moon and downed the rest of the ss in one go, mming it a little hard on the


    windowsill.


    Luckily, the ss didn¡¯t break and cut his skin.


    ¡°And then I realized this madness had to end. We could not continue living like this. I could not spend


    restless days and sleepless nights seeing my people die and living with the guilt of not being able to


    save them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­you could not save them all. You are not a¡­.¡± I began, but trailed off as he looked back at me,


    his eyes shining with agony.


    ¡°I am not a God? Yeah, I know that. But if the so called Goddess abandoned us, who were my soldiers


    supposed to look up to? I was themander in chief, so I was responsible for them.¡±

 Chatper 132

    Chapter 132


    I was sitting on the edge of my seat as he kept narrating with a faraway look in his eyes.


    ¡°Back in those days, Selene was far more approachable. She was a lesser Goddess whom we could


    meet easily. The fact that she created us was also a bonus. Lastly, I being the Lycan King and


    to report about the progress and the death toll though she was not really interested in thetter.¡±


    My jaw dropped at that. ¡°You have met Goddess Selene?¡±


    ¡°In the flesh though I am not sure if Gods and Goddesses have a heart.¡± He replied though there was


    no admiration in his voice. In fact, there was scorn in his tone as he spoke about her.


    ¡°Initially, the power and strength flowing through me gave me a certain adrenaline rush as I would kill


    the mages and witches easily. The proud smile on her face, when I would report that we had thwarted


    the enemy and infiltrated their ranks, would motivate me to keep pushing myself. At first, I was just an


    ordinary soldier but the need to please her made me be bolder and crueler. Soon, I began leading


    small groups to deviously trick the wizards and kill them, using not just strength but tactic as well.¡±


    I nervously bit on my lower lip as he continued, ¡°But soon I found myself feeling it increasingly difficult


    to fall asleep. The screams and cries of the enemy I killed would ring in my ears 24/7. After the first few


    weeks, killing people began to haunt me instead of giving me joy. I began to loathe myself and the


    person I was bing. Selene however was pleased by my contribution, saw the earlier spark in my


    eyes, and promoted me to be her direct subordinate. I should have rejoiced and celebrated that I


    quickly climbed up the ranks but I began to hate it. I could not live like that anymore¡±


    He took a pause and looked at me as he asked, ¡°Funny right? You would think that the lycan King is


    too strong and too cruel to be affected by killing. You must be thinking I am such a coward right now.¡±


    My silence had probably made him doubt himself.


    ¡°What? No! Why would I even think that? It only shows that you have a heart¡­and a conscience.¡±


    Cahan scoffed, ¡°Though I must admit, the pain of myrades


    affected me more than that of the enemy. I began to loathe the mindless killing so one day I decided to


    do something about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­stopped fighting?¡± I asked.


    Cahan shook his head. ¡°I could not disobey my superior¡¯s direct orders. I was manufactured for


    killing so I had to inform her of my stance and hoped that she would take note of my plight.¡± ¡¤


    His shoulders ¡®sagged and I could get a sense of what must have . happened.


    ¡°One such day when I was supposed to give her the weekly report, I pleaded with Selene to enter a


    truce with Mirabel. Mirabel was a powerful sorceress but she was still a human. Selene was a lesser


    Goddess so she could not digest the fact that a mere human was giving her a tough time. It was hurting


    her self-esteem. She had to prove it to her father that she was worthy of being a true Goddess and take


    the moon throne that was truly hers, ording to her, at least.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡­I mean Goddess Selene chose violence?¡±


    Cahan finished the whisky in his ss and poured himself one more drink.


    ¡°She was adamant that we could win against the witch and prove her worth to her father. And Mirabel


    was the only one standing in her way.¡±


    I looked up so fast at that line that I almost snapped my neck.


    ¡°Her father? You¡¯ve met Selene¡¯s father as well?¡±


    Cahan shook his head, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Nor do I care. I was only allowed to meet Selene since she


    was my direct superior. She wanted to rule the earth and get her status elevated to a true Goddess.


    Her father could do that, crown her as the moon Goddess. She already had created us so she had


    followers and worshippers as well. It was supposed to be easy but it was not. Eventually, that did


    happen¡­however, I paid the price for it.¡±


    He answered, downing the ss of whisky in one go. He began to reach for the next but I stopped him.


    ¡°Cal, stop. You have to stay sober and sane. You have had enough drinks.¡±


    He snorted, a pained smile appearing on his lips. ¡°The only reason I could tell you all this is because I


    am drinking. That way, I can tell myself that I did it under the influence of alcohol. Or the guilt would eat


    me alive.¡±


    I could not even imagine how he lived so far while keeping all of this to himself. I had had trouble falling


    asleep after my mother¡¯s death and even Luna Celeste¡¯s torture used to give me nightmares. And here


    Cahan was subjected to cruelty by the very Goddess who was supposed to look after him.


    How had Cahan not gone insane with all that weight on his shoulders? He was the one sharing his


    story with me but I felt as if I was the one whose heart was being squeezed by someone.


    I got up from my chair and held his hand, stopping him from lifting the bottle again. My palm rested on


    his as he looked at me with a grief stricken face.


    ¡°Please Cal, I understand you are in pain. I can see it on your face. But, I cannot see you breaking


    down like this.¡±


    Cahan gritted his teeth. ¡°If you want to hear the rest of the story, you have to let me drink. Because I


    do not want to handle the pain while being sober. I¡­I cannot lose you too, Zee.¡±


    I squeezed his hand gently. ¡°You are not losing me, Cal. I don¡¯t care about the curse and how it would


    affect me. I should have died the moment you shared your secret with me but I am still breathing,


    right?¡±


    His other hand reached for my cheek and his thumb stroked my skin gently.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°If anything happens to you because I shared all this with you, I would not be able to forgive myself,


    Zee.¡±


    At that line, the anchor bond tugged at me. My gaze flew to my wrist as I felt a tingling sensation where


    our bond was located.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, sounding rmed.


    I raised the wrist to show it to him. ¡°This bond of ours¡­.whenever you experience a spike in emotions,


    I feel it. Not just there¡­¡± I pointed at my wrist and then turned the same finger toward my heart.


    ¡°¡­.but also here.¡±


    ¡°I have already told you a lot, Zee. I should stop now.¡±


    But I shook my head. ¡°No, I want to know all of it. My faith in the moon Goddess might have shaken but


    my faith in you still stands strong. I know you would not even have uttered a word to me if there was a


    risk of anything happening to me. So clearly, there is either a loophole or you are hiding something


    from me even now.¡±


    I said it with a certainty I felt in my gut. Despite the pain in his voice, he smiled.


    ¡°You are smart, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I jutted my chin up and replied, ¡°I know you. You locked yourself up in the room and kept asking me to


    leave when you thought you were losing control of your lycan. You tried to run away from me while you


    still could. So, you would never ever willingly do something if it would hurt me.¡±


    Cahan shrugged, ¡°Well, I saw the three Goddess of Fate at the ritual. Well, their¡­ statues. And for


    the first time in forever, I sincerely prayed to them to not let the curse affect you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you prayed?¡± I asked, shock and disbelief apparent in my voice.


    ¡°Surprised I turned into a believer from an atheist?¡±


    ¡°Surprised that you did that for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­just thought maybe the Goddesses of fate could change something Selene subjected me to. Only


    some divine power could do that I hoped. And I am d that they fulfilled my wish.¡±


    Maybe, I should go back to the statues and pray to them to take the curse offpletely. However, I


    doubt it would be that easy. They did not change the curse in its essence as Cahan is the bearer of


    the curse, not


    1.


    I was not sure if fate was powerful enough to defy the wishes of a Goddess¡­.a true Goddess as


    Cahan told me. My mind was churning with possibilities of how to break this curse and just trying to


    hold on to stray threads.


    ¡°Still want me to continue?¡± Cahan asked, dragging me out of my thoughts.


    My voice was barely a whisper, ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°Then I have to have that drink. I need it to talk about the thing I am about to tell you.¡¯

 Chatper 133

    Chapter 133


    Zenovia


    I hesitated. As much as I wanted to hear the story, I was afraid Cahan would drown himself in


    alcohol. I had never seen him drink like this. Or so unstable. I had seen his rage and temper¡­but


    this¡­seeing the most fierce king of werewolves look so helpless and miserable was new to me.


    I was not sure if I could handle him if he broke down.


    And, I was also dreading to hear the entire truth. My belief system was already shaken. Just how much


    more could I hear? Was I ready for it?


    He noticed the confusing emotions sh in my eyes and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to hear the


    truth, Zee? Theplete and absolute truth? I am still giving you the chance to walk away from this.


    You don¡¯t have to know or hear anything.¡±


    I gulped nervously and my hold on his hand loosened.


    There was no turning back now. I was not sure when he would open up to me again if he had not even


    shared all of this with his trusted friends.


    ¡°You are not touching another bottle,¡± I added, trying my best to not let my voice shake, and stepped


    back as Cahan smiled and lifted the bottle to put it directly to his lips.


    ¡°You know what? Today is not the first day I saw you wandering in the forest all alone.¡±


    I stared at him in confusion.


    ¡°No, I only left or tried to run away from you once.¡±


    But Cahan shook his head. ¡°Pretty sure this is the second time. The first time I saw you, just like


    tonight in the forest, wandering alone in the night.¡±


    I scratched my head. How could that be possible?


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°I only recalled it now. You did not look hurt to me in any way, so I let it slide, but I should have noticed


    that something was off when you did not have an answer to why you had wandered in the forest sote


    at night all by yourself. I only thought you did that to piss me off.¡±


    I shook my head again. ¡°No, I still don¡¯t recall that night.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡± Cahan had that faraway look in his eyes, as if he was wondering what it could mean.


    ¡°I have doubts about how Mirabel found you when she has never shown me her face in all these years,


    but I will unravel that mysteryter. But there is one thing I am certain of.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    After taking one long swig, he spoke, ¡°The memory that you saw¡­ Mirabel showed that to you for a


    reason.¡±


    He sat on the chair in front of me and took another swig. His eyes were red, and I could see how hard


    he was fighting to control his emotions. The bottle was almost empty.


    ¡°When I went that night to talk about a truce, Selene was angered by my suggestion. I went to her


    bearing the news of several deaths and how our forces were almost defeated. I begged her to


    reconsider her stance. I even offered to hold a meeting with Mirabel and maybe work as her ve for


    eternity, if that meant we could put an end to the war.¡±


    1


    He raised his eyebrow and looked up at me. ¡°Want to guess what must have happened?¡±


    ¡°She¡­she did not like it?¡±


    ¡°That is putting it mildly. Selene was furious I would evene up with such a suggestion. And to


    make matters worse, she found out a secret I was hiding and punished me for it.¡±


    Cahan looked up at me, gauging my reaction. My heart was thudding wildly. I was sure he could hear


    it pretty clearly as well.


    ¡°Wh-what was it?¡± I asked after taking a few deep breaths to calm my nerves¡­or at least tried to.


    However, I failed the task miserably.


    ¡°The moment I spoke about a truce, Selene reprimanded me for bing weak. Love and


    live a loveless and lonely life, stating that nobody would ever love me because of my fate. I was


    condemned to slowly be the monster she made ine, slowly give in to the primal instincts and go


    feral.¡±


    A gasp left my mouth.


    My Goddess¡­she was so cruel?


    ¡°I fell to her feet, begged and cried her to take her words back¡­not for myself, obviously. I did not care


    what happened to me. But she was a lesser Goddess and the curse came into effect the moment


    Selene¡¯s words left her mouth. Aisy¡­or Aislynn was the girl that you saw dying in the memory. Aisy


    paid the price for the rivalry between Mirabel and Selene. Her death put an end to a decade old battle


    as Mirabel pulled back her forces while Selene received a throne on the moon. And¡­and I was the one


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    who lost everything¡­¡±


    ¡°But why would her death lead to a truce?¡± I asked, my voice shaking.


    I had seen him hold her close and cry bitterly in the memory Mirabel showed me. She must have been


    someone important enough for the wa to end..


    The memory was vivid and etched in my mind quite clearly of the way he had held onto her, begging


    Mirabel to help him. But Mirabel had stood there impassively, only waving her wand atst to help


    Aislynn¡¯s journey to the afterlife.


    ¡°Was she rted to Selene?¡± I asked.


    I had never really wondered about Selene¡¯s bloodline, but if she had a father, she might have a sister


    as well. Aislynn looked truly beautiful, as if she was a goddess. So, my mind assumed she would be


    somehow rted. to Selene, that maybe she was Selene¡¯s sister.


    Why else would Cahan cry over some unknown girl¡¯s death?


    But his reply shocked me once again.


    ¡°She was Mirabel¡¯s daughter¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    It looked like I was asking that question a lot. How did that make sense? The memory showed me


    Mirabel standing impassively,pletely unaffected by her daughter¡¯s death.


    And Cahan was the one sobbing bitterly. Didn¡¯t being Mirabel¡¯s daughter turn her into Cahan¡¯s


    enemy?


    My brows furrowed as I was trying to put the puzzle pieces together.


    Cahan gave me some time to digest this piece of information as he


    11:991


    kept staring at the moon as if trying to talk to Selene, or maybe demand justice from her.


    No, justice was thest thing he would ask from her. Maybe, he was just venting out his anger at her.


    Of all the times I hoped she was listening to us, now was the time I hoped it the most. I wanted to talk


    to her, demand an exnation from her despite being a mere mortal.


    My shock and confusion were now slowly turning into something else¡­.into something I never thought


    I would feel for Selene.


    ¡°This¡­the look on your face. I did not want that.¡± Cahan said, turning to look at me.


    ¡°why not?¡± I countered.


    ¡°Hope and faith are what keep us going, Zee. We are not normal creatures, neitherpletely human


    nor animal. Wey somewhere in the between, dangling in the two worlds while trying to blend in.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t justify what she did to you,¡± I replied, and he chuckled, putting the bottle to his lips again,


    only to realize that it was empty.


    ¡°Not everybody is happy with God and fate. My sole experience should not determine what others think


    about Selene. As I said, hope and faith are the two things that keep us going. I did not want to rob them


    away from anyone¡­especially Matt, Dru, and El.¡±


    That made sense somehow. Now that I thought about it, Cahan would not really care about the


    implications of the curse. Death was what he was after, but he cared about his pack.


    But I had noticed the way he had trailed off when speaking about Aislynn and the way a lump had


    formed in his throat at the mention of her


    name.


    The way he trailed off told me there was more to it. He took a long pause and looked away as if what


    he was about to say would hurt me as if he did not have the courage to look me in the eye while saying


    it.


    I moved forward a little and coaxed him gently.


    ¡°And? Who was Aislynn?¡± I asked the burning question in my mind.


    He clenched his fists, the grip on the ss tightening as he added in a


    hoarse mice


    And she is fi


    wh

 Chatper 134

    Chapter 134


    I was reeling from the information overload and I had lost count of how many times I was left


    speechless by Cahan¡¯s words.


    He kept looking at me, waiting for my reaction as I processed whatever he had revealed. My legs felt


    shaky and my knees wobbled, so I gripped the edge of the table for support.


    Cahan had been in love with Aislynn¡­long ago. He was the


    cursed him to die a pained death, and live a loveless life¡­just because he fell in love with an enemy?


    For a while we sat in an awkward silence, the only noises in his office being him drinking more whisky


    and me clicking a pen on and off to give my fingers something to do. My heart was thudding wildly and,


    despite all the other jarring things he had told me, just one of the many revtions cut through my


    heart like a sharp de.


    The fact that Cahan had been in love made a spark of white hot jealousy course through my spine,


    sending tingling sensations all over my body. I was not supposed to feel this way about a dead girl but I


    could not help it. My nails dug into my palms as I tried to maintain my


    Was he still in love with her? Is that why he would always say no to me? I remembered how girls would


    die to get just one look from him. Even at the ball, Cynthia and the others had tried hard to grab his


    attention. But he had only maintained a polite distance from them.


    I had felt so nice to show Cynthia that she did not deserve Cahan because he preferred to make me


    his anchor. But¡­it had never been me.


    His first choice, his first love, had been Aislynn. I recalled Aislynn¡¯s beautiful face.


    She truly used to look like a goddess herself, with her otherworldly appearance. My thoughts went


    haywire as I beganparing myself with her.


    I had only seen her for a few minutes in the memory, but those minutes had been more than enough to


    tell me that she was a beauty. She had long hair and dressed like a princess. Her voice had been


    calming, too.


    10:26


    And I¡­I just scream and yell for the most basic things. I look ordinary as well.


    I was never brought up by a witch queen or some noble to have the mannerisms of a sweet youngdy.


    And Cahan used to look even more vibrant and youthful than now. His hair used to be shorter and


    his build leaner, giving him an athletic physique. They were an ideal couple.


    No doubt, the two fell for each other. Had he kissed her just like I kissed him, looked at her as if she


    was the center of the world? Well, I did not need to ponder over that. The look on his face when he saw


    her covered in blood had been devastating.


    He saw her die and held her dying body in his arms as she took herst breath, cradling her like a true


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    lover.


    I shook my head. What was I even thinking?


    He saw her die. And he lives with that memory that must haunt him every single day.


    That must have been so painful. The cogs in my brain were churning as I began to recall all of my


    earlier interactions with him.


    Specifically, how he never believed in the fate of werewolves, the Moon Goddess, of how he would


    think of it as nothing more but wishful thinking. That must also be the reason why Drusi had to put in


    so much effort for him to agree to finding an anchor, nag him endlessly to give in to her demands.


    He never openly loathed Selene, but only now I could recall how he would snort whenever we spoke


    about fate or the Moon Goddess. He had turned into an atheist and at that time, I only thought of him


    as an arrogant and snobbish person.


    But now, after hearing the truth, I could not me him for the reason.


    His creator, the Goddess, who was supposed to protect him. She had shunned him¡­.left him to die a


    painful and miserable death and a long, agonizing life. She sat on her thronefortably while he


    risked his life every day, waging a war that was not his and lives with the burden of deaths of many


    warriors that is also not his to bear.


    How selfish of me to be jealous of Aislynn at this moment when he needs me to support him? How


    could I ever think of myself as his lover when I


    10:26


    could not even contain my stupid jealousy?


    The anchor bond in my wrist thrummed as I felt pain and grief, both of which did not belong to me. I


    could feel what he was feeling, not just by hearing his words, but because the anchor bond allowed me


    to sense his turmoil.


    His feelings were intense, and his emotions were all over the ce. I could sense all of it and it


    suddenly became too much for me to bear. I felt as if my wrist was being cut open but I did not even


    wince.


    If I told him it was hurting me, he would shut himself off again. I could not risk that. I had to let him


    speak for as long as he wanted.


    Thunder helped me stay strong by bearing a huge chunk of the pain even though she was supposed to


    be sleeping.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered to her as tears stung the back of my eyes.


    ¡°I want to listen as well,¡± she replied, dly sharing the load with me. Now that she had taken some of


    the pain off, my brain could think clearly.


    Now I could truly understand why he was so cold and aloof, so detached.


    Carrying such a huge burden and secret for all his life had turned him into a cold and brutal person.


    Maybe that is why he did not want to live longer or find a cure.


    And as if he had read my thoughts, he suddenly said,


    ¡°There is a reason I did not want to find a cure. It was¡­it was not right that Aisy died while I got to live.


    It was cruel and unfair, so I weed the curse with open arms. I never wanted a mate or anybody to


    love me. I knew nobody would want me. If I could not even protect the one girl I loved, I could not


    protect anyone.¡±


    Cahan took ast swig of the bottle and threw it away, the ss bottle thudding softly against the


    carpet.


    I tried not to wince as his steps got a little wobbly. ¡°I¡­I did not want to live. I wanted to die. But, I could


    not die in any other way except the curse slowly seeping the life out of me. So, in a way, I became an


    immortal with a death wish.¡±


    I failed at holding back the tears that finally began to trickle down my eyes as he spoke, slightly


    inebriated.


    10:26


    ¡°I wanted to die. But it was as if the Grim Reaper did not want to free me


    of the curse of life. So I became more violent, more cold because the reason for staying alive was


    snatched away from me. But no matter how hard I fought, I would not die. I realized it quitete that this


    was going to be my life.¡±


    His eyes werepletely red now and his expression was of pure grief and torture.


    My heart shattered into a million pieces over and over again as he kept sharing his past with me.


    I had to stay strong for him so I quickly turned around, wiped the tears that had begun streaming down


    my cheeks that I fought so hard to control, and faced him again. I knew he would think I was pitying him


    if he saw the tears and that was thest thing he needed right now.


    But I could not help it.


    ¡°I am such a lost cause, aren¡¯t I?¡± He chuckled as he noticed my tears and I shook my head, wiping my


    tears away. So much for being strong for his sake.


    ¡°No, Cal, please don¡¯t say that,¡± I said with trembling lips.


    I reached for his face to cup it but he pulled away.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± I began, but he insisted.


    ¡°I have to finish, remember? So now where was I?¡± He asked, stumbling against a chair. I took a step


    forward again, but he shot his hand forward to signal me to not help him.


    Author¡¯s note: The memory that Mirabel showed to Zenovia where Aislynn dies was hinted at way back


    in chapter six for those who would like to connect the dots

 Chatper 135

    Chapter 135


    Zenovia


    Pushing the hair away, he continued when I stepped back.


    ¡°So¡­it took me a while, but I realized I was not going to die no matter how much I fought and pushed


    myself. But those around me were dying¡­at an rming rate. I had to change that. I could not save all


    of them but a few whom I could, I tried my best to care for them. Slowly, I found the survivors and


    gathered them to form a pack. I devoted my life to their betterment while silently hoping every day that I


    would not open my eyes the next morning. But guess what?¡±


    He asked, smiling like a madman.


    My heart broke to see him like this and I went towards him, trying to calm him down, but he stepped


    away again.


    ¡°I¡­I never fucking died. Aisy died, but I am still alive. And¡­ I would not have wanted to live¡­until I


    found you.


    Cahan said, thest four words leaving his mouth in a pained whisper. I felt as if somebody was


    squeezing my heart in a deathly grip and I could not breathe anymore.


    This. This was his way of telling me that I mattered to him. That he found the will to live¡­because of


    me. He had never been good with words, but his admission told me I was not just a random girl


    crushing on him.


    It told me that he felt something as well. And the burden of so many deaths, along with the guilt of


    staying alive with those memories, made him think he was unworthy of love.


    I could not bear to see him so vulnerable.


    ¡°I would never let you die, Cal.¡± I began sobbing bitterly, and ran towards him, my hands holding him


    tightly. This time, he did not step away or push me back.


    And I held onto him like he was thest breath of air I needed to survive.


    The fear of losing him made my heartbeat race, and I gripped his shirt tightly, coiling my hands around


    him.


    My head was resting on his chest and I let the steady rhythm of his


    heartbeat calm my nerves. I could not bear the thought of not hearing his heart beat like this. He had to


    live. For me.


    He cupped my face and looked at me. ¡°You¡­you changed me.¡± He said, and I chuckled despite the


    tears streaming down my face like a river.


    ¡°You are the reason I found the will to live again. I had built walls around my heart to not let anybody


    I kissed his chest, letting my actions speak rather than words. He pushed the hair sticking to my


    temples behind and wiped the tears with the pad of his thumbs.


    ¡°Then why did it take you so long to tell me all this?¡± I asked between sobs. I had been begging him to


    tell me everything from day one, yet he took so much time. I plotted running away from him, hated him


    and bickered so much with him, called him names while he endured it silently.


    I felt horribly guilty for everything I had done or said to him. He had just admitted he loved me in his


    own way. But I wanted more of this, more of


    him.


    And if I could jump upon this chance of making him realize just how much he wanted me, and loved me


    with the same ferocious intensity I did, I would shamelessly take it.


    His voice cracked, and I saw the way his lips trembled. ¡°Because I was not sure if you would stay with


    me till the end. The pain of losing Aisy still haunts me to this day. And I did not allow myself to fall for


    anyone. I was afraid I would lose you, too. So it was better to make you hate me.¡±


    Cahan said, and I smiled through the tears. ¡°We both saw how good that n turned out, right?¡±


    He chuckled, and I saw the first signs of relief cross his features.


    ¡°Are you¡­are you still not second guessing your decision? Mirabel literally showed you what happened


    to her own daughter, Zee. I cannot bear to see something happen to you. I promised you the truth and I


    gave it to you. Theplete truth.¡±


    I kissed his fingers that were caressing my cheek and I saw the way he gasped. This was my Cahan.


    The Lycan King who was cold and cruel on the outside but was a sweetheart on the inside.


    I always knew he was only putting up a show of being cold and unreachable, but I could not have ever


    imagined the truth to be so intense¡­.so jarring.


    The loss of a loved one leaves wounds and pain that seldom goes away. I had lost my mother, so I


    knew how that felt. But I had not seen the light in her eyes dim as I held her, sobbing uncontrobly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to live, Zee. I don¡¯t deserve you either.¡±


    I put a finger on his lips to stop him from talking, but he pulled it away and continued to talk. ¡°I could not


    protect Aisy and¡­and I attacked you, too. That is why I was not letting you be my anchor. I feel¡­


    I feel I will not be able to do justice to you or your feelings¡­¡±


    I could not hold back any longer. The fact that he had been living with so much burden and did not


    have anybody to share with all this life was heart wrenching.


    Cahan did not deserve this life. Nobody did. It was not his fault that Aislynn died, and he


    has been living with a tremendous amount of guilt


    all his life.


    Now I knew why he wouldugh cruelly when Drusi or anybody else h cruelly when Drusi or


    anybody else spoke about fate. He never really worshiped the Moon Goddess either. I only thought he


    was an atheist at first.


    Not all men believed in God. But he had been created by and left to rot. How could Selene do this to


    him?


    our Goddess


    I had been praying to her all my life and worshiped her, thought of her as my own mother. There were


    countless nights I would keep staring outside the window, looking at the moon and wondering if she


    was listening to me, if she was paying attention to her neglected daughter.


    But after hearing what Cahan went through, that belief in the Moon Goddess was shaken. I did not


    know what to think of her anymore. Not that she would care. She had left Cahan to rot for so many


    years and never thought of freeing him of his curse.


    I never thought I would feel anything but devotion to the Moon Goddess. But I guess now she did not


    have one more ardent believer of hers.


    And if she was going to send me to hell for siding with Cahan, so be it.


    ¡°Zee, you should really think-¡± Cahan began again, but I did not want to hear any reason why I could


    not want him. In fact, the more he


    10:03


    revealed about the dark past, the more my admiration, love, respect and everything I felt for him


    increased even further.


    If he thought his revtion would make me shun him, he did not know


    me at all.


    ¡°Think what?¡± I challenged him, twisting the fabric of his shirt in my hand and pulling him close.


    ¡°I am drunk and you are not thinking straight. Us is a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked and brought my lips closer.


    Immediately his eyes darkened and whatever he was going to say next died on his tongue.


    ¡°Zee¡­¡± His voice was more of a low growl than a warning. Maybe, he was asking himself to stay back


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    and not let his restraint slip.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said, now my lips just a hair¡¯s breadth away from his.


    I saw the way his expressions changed and his eyes light with a fire I had begun to fear would never


    show up for me. But there it was.


    I smiled at that. Now, I had to push him just a bit more so that he would give up this stupid idea of


    pushing me away.


    The Lycan King needed just a little reminder that he wanted me and I


    my hand was more than ready to give him that. So I grabbed his face in and pulled him hard, crashing


    my lips upon his without wasting a second.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    Zenovia


    Cahan was too stunned to react when I pressed my lips upon his, and for a second he stayed deathly still. He did not react at all. I feared he was going to push me away, stating vehemently yet again of how he was not worthy of me.


    But I did not care. He might have loved Aislynn in the past, but that was the thing about it...she was not in the present.


    I was the one with him right now and I would not let him suffer anymore. I wanted to say so much more to him, want to tell him how much he meant to me, but I could not articte my thoughts into beautiful sentences to infuse him with confidence.


    So I let my body do the talking. My wolf, Thunder, let out a whimper in my mind when I kissed Cahan.


    She would always act cocky in front of him, but she admired him


    secretly. And I was not sure if it was her emotions that were fueling me or my own, but I kept kissing Cahan and trying to open his lips under mine.


    When he did not react at first, my heart began to sink and fresh tears began to threaten to leak. Maybe, I had been too forward. Maybe he wanted me as a friend right now.


    So, I began to pull away. But the second I did, his hands wrapped around my body and I let out an ecstatic moan as he pulled me closer.


    He mmed my body on his and muttered, ¡°You can''t just walk away after giving the devil the taste of elixir


    His hands raked my hair and traveled up my body while his other hand held me protectively. My eyes twinkled with excitement as I looked into his golden eyes that were shining brilliantly.


    ¡°I am a devil, Zee. I don''t believe in anything you do. I''ve killed innocent people and lied to my loved ones. You don''t want me.¡±


    He said, but I loved the fact that his hold on me did not loosen.


    ¡°I told you I had a crush on you. And since you have been so honest with


    me, can I also be honest with you right now?¡±


    I asked, my breath hitched.


    Cahan''s smile wavered for a millisecond, but the hesitation was gone before I could truly notice it


    "Go on¡±


    ¡°I want you more than ever, and I hope you will kiss me senselessly and make all my wild dreamse true.¡±


    He smiled that devilish smile of his and brought down his lips on mine, kissing me as if his life depended on it


    And I kissed him back, feverishly.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    At this point, it was as if we werepeting who wanted to kiss harder. Our bodies were on fire and our emotions were all over the ce.


    Cahan was faster, and his kisses were deeper. Soon, I let him win as he imed my mouth, letting his tongue roam around leisurely. Delicate shivers ran across my skin as I tasted the whisky and his mouth that imed mine.


    His hot breath made me gasp as I stumbled back, and he kept roaming his hands over me, unsure of what to do or not do.


    The back of my feet hit the wall, and he caged me in his arms, his heated gaze roaming all over me. Cahan''s gaze fell on my wrist that I had ced on the wall, and he inspected it. There was a small mark on my wrist right where the anchor bond was forged. He slowly reached for it and gingerly kissed it. Those full lips had anguage of their own as they spoke to my heart and my body.


    And I felt a tingle sweep up my body, making me shudder. My legs were trembling and my heart was racing.


    "You are beautiful, Zee,¡± He whispered while kissing my wrist, making my nerves tie themselves in a knot.


    "And courageous,¡± He said, cing one more kiss on my palm, his soft lips grazing my sensitive skin.


    Was this him talking or the whisky? I hoped it was the former and


    tomorrow morning, he would remember all of the lines he said to me


    instead of going back to his usual cold self.


    His fingers brushed the hair away from the nape of my neck and he ced his mouth on my neck, leaving heated kisses as he traveled up towards my ear.


    "And cute,¡± He continued, showering me with praises while


    simultaneously kissing me. My skin felt hot and my insides were on fire.


    I had always had a crush on him, but apart from the one or two times that he had sated my desires, he had not been so open to showing what he thought about me.


    He would always use dominance and touch me when I asked him to...not because his desire to touch me was greater.


    But now, as his hands roamed all over me, and as he imed my mouth, it showed me that all his talk of this being only a stupid attraction for me was baseless.


    His eyes were dark and


    rose golden orbs were heated as


    to my body...specifically my chest.


    his gaze flicked


    "Why did you stop?¡± I asked as his eyes stared at me in equal parts confusion and hesitation.


    ¡°I...I have not really done it in a long time,¡± He breathed and I suppressed a chuckle.


    "You...you have been celibate all this time?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise and a rush of pleasure.


    He had not touched that wretched Cynthia or anybody else. But he was touching me, wanting me. I found it enticing.


    He frowned, raking a hand through his hair. ¡°I mean...I was trying to not hurt anyone so yeah...¡±


    He said, afraid of admitting it openly. But he had. Not that I was an expert when it came to making love.


    But two odds would make it even, I hoped.


    "What if I told you I''ve never wanted this...except with you, of course,¡± I said, trying to act coy as I recalled how Cynthia would bat her eyshes at him.


    He let out a low growl and replied, ¡°Say it again, Zee"


    I brought my lips near to his, letting them hover only a hair''s breadth away from mine.


    ¡°I want you, Cal.¡±


    I breathed, and the effect was instantaneous.


    Thunder giggled in my head and began shing indecent images of him and me, making my emotions overflow.


    His nostrils red, and he grabbed me in his arms, throwing me on his shoulders and depositing me on the huge table.


    He plopped me right on the numerous files and ced his hands on either side of me. The files scattered, and I recalled thest time I was here how I had attempted to salvage the papers from the tea spilled all over the table.


    That time he had been irritated about the papers I had spilled tea upon.


    care. Now it was as if he did not e


    "You talk a lot, don''t you?¡± I asked and reached for his cor, coiling my fists in the fabric of his shirt and almost tearing it apart in the process.


    I did not want to talk. My skin was aching from the loss of his touch already, of his full lips leaving a trail of fiery kisses. So, I gave him some motivation and yanked at his shirt, pulling him closer.


    The top button of his shirt flew off and I let my hand slip inside, roaming on his bare chest. That rewarded me with a squeeze of my shoulders as he reached for the fabric of my coat and pushed it away.


    Now I was sitting in front of him in just my short pajamas. My long legs were on disy for him and the cute tank top that had slid up my waist also did not do much to hide my skin,


    Not that he had not seen me naked before. But the way he was breathing right now, roaming his eyes leisurely over me, made my nerves tingle with a nervous frenzy.


    His handnded on my knee and his fingers trailed a path upward, making me anxious as well as excited.


    My eyes were on his hand while his eyes were on mine, gauging my


    reaction.


    ¡°I love the way you respond,¡± He breathed, ¡°Getting all bold one minute,


    only to turn into a scaredy cat the next.¡±


    I gulped and tried to channel some of Thunder''s sass, but when he parted my legs, all of those thoughts flew out of the window.


    And then I felt something, not in my core or my heart, but near my wrist. Curious, I looked at my wrist and brushed my fingers over it.


    "What happened?¡± He asked, and I replied, ¡°I... felt something.¡±


    Cahan smiled and reached for the hem of my short pajama, brushing the pad of his thumb over it.


    ¡°It would be odd if you did not¡±


    His voice was husky, but I tried to exin. ¡°I meant the anchor bond, it...I felt something.¡±


    His forefinger slowly slipped inside, barely an inch, and I gasped. Simultaneously, the anchor bond tingled.


    ¡°It... it happened again,¡± I breathed, but Cahan was paying no attention


    to me.


    He kept pushing further inside until he reached the hem of my panties.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, his voice sounding husky.


    I fumbled, trying to process what was going on. My wolf was getting turned on, I was getting turned on, and my anchor bond was adding more to my emotions.


    ¡°I... feel...aroused,¡± I breathed, and he replied, ¡°Then I am the cure to your problem.¡±


    Saying so, he pulled his hands out and reached for my waist, pulling me up in his embrace as my legs dangled down on him.


    "Aah" I let out a yelp as his hands guided my legs to coil around his waist before reaching for the shorts, and pulling them down.


    I gasped when his hands touched the bare skin of my waist, sending sparks all over my body.


    He pulled my shorts and panties aside exposing my clit though since I was holding onto him tightly, he was not getting a clear view. Not that he needed it.


    I said, just one word, but it was enough


    That is good because I want you to car!


    We do You Wannow" oaked his breath Ramming my chuched onto him my nails digging into his shirt and back as I replied

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Zenovia


    Stars exploded in front of my eyes as his index finger pushed through my entrance, making my heart beat like a trapped butterfly.


    His finger explored my insides, slowly, leisurely, as I clung to him as if I would fall down a cliff. We were in his office.


    And he was used to workingte night hours. Nobody woulde here without knocking.


    At least, I hoped so.


    It was scandalous. I had just be his anchor. I should be trying to understand how to read it, and how to find ways to stop him from losing control of himself.


    But here I was, melting at his touch as he assaulted me with his finger. His eyes were fixated on me, studying my expressions as I began to squirm.


    The anchor bond was definitely pulsating right now and was thrumming with energy. It was no different from my body, which felt like it was live wire.


    And Cahan was the energy that was fueling me, invigorating me.


    It was phenomenal. His finger pushed further, and I felt I was exploding as he went all in.


    ¡°You are all ready for me,¡± He whispered, and I shuddered at it.


    I felt my muscles clench and unclench as they tried to amodate his finger. I had only felt his tongue inside me, soft and caressing, but his finger was demanding.


    I let out a wince as he looked at me with concern. ¡°Am I hurting you?¡±


    He asked, his brows creasing. ¡°A little,¡± I answered truthfully, and he immediately pulled out.


    A shocked breath escaped my lips, and my chest was heaving.


    ¡°I...I did not ask you to pull out,¡± I said, my head bent a little as he smiled, holding his finger in front of me.


    It was coated in my juices and he brought his finger towards his mouth. and snaked his tongue out, licking it.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± He said, eyes fluttering as he licked his fingers clean


    My toes curled and a rush of heat pped me as I saw his expression.


    "Just like I remember,¡± He said, grinning before walking ahead to ce me on the table.


    The window was half open, and I could see that the night was beginning to fade. My gaze fell onto the wall clock on the opposite side and noticed that it was almost 5 am.


    I did not even realize how long it had been since we started talking or how exactly the talking turned to this.


    But I was loving it.


    Cahan was torturing me...slowly.


    ¡°You know I want to see the mark I gave you. But more than that, I want to do whatever I want with you.¡±


    His tone was husky, and his eyes were glowing with pure desire. I felt my heart thud against my ribcage as he pushed my legs apart and grabbed my waist to pull me towards the edge.


    He gave my butt a gentle squeeze as his tongue licked his lower lip.


    ¡°And, I will start now,¡± Cahan said, grabbing my wrists and cing them on either side of the table.


    ¡°Hold on to it for support,¡± He said, and I nodded, my eyes wide with equal parts excitement and nervousness


    Then he slowly reached for my hair and pushed it back. Lowering his head, he gently ced his lips on mine and softly kissed me.


    But that soft kiss soon turned hungrier as he began sucking at my skin, biting the soft flesh with his teeth before continuing his way down.


    My hands grew sweaty and the urge to grab his shirt and bury my nails in his back was too intense, but I managed to hold on to the sides of the desk with a death grip.


    His kisses turned heated as his hands reached for the strap of my tank top and pushed it down. I gasped as his mouth roamed all over me, pushing the fabric aside as he left heated kisses on my corbone.


    It was as if he was on a mission to kiss every inch of me.


    And every kiss left a spark on my skin that I felt even after he had left that spot a while ago. His hand traveled up my neck, pushing me into him before traveling down to reach for the sp of my bra.


    I shivered at the touch, but it was nice to see that he craved for me, hungrily, greedily.


    He fumbled with the sp a bit, but his mouth never left me. His fingers tugged at the sp when he could not get it undone.


    A mild sound of irritation left his lips when he still could not do it.


    ¡°Should 1?¡± I asked, in between the heaving. Cahan grunted and bit into my skin as I released the death grip over the table''s edge and reached for my back.


    But it was a little difficult given that he was bending me down a little and his mouth was roaming all over me.


    Not that I would want him to stop. So despite the difort, I someh managed to reach the sp by awkwardly twisting my hands and undi it.


    Cahan did not even wait for a second and pushed the bra and the top down in one single sweep. His hand reached for my left breast and cupped it, making a delighted moan leave my lips.


    His mouth kept leaving kisses as his left hand kept caressing my left breast while his right hand slowly traveled downward.


    I began trembling as he pushed not one but two fingers inside my


    My senses exploded as bursts of ecstatic pleasure rocked me. His fingers stroked me, while his left hand cupped my breast before pinching my nipple.


    ¡°Aah¡±


    I moaned again, louder this time, and I felt him smile against my skin.


    ¡°You have no idea how long I have been wanting to do this to you¡± Cahan''s voice was husky as his mouth imed my right breast.


    I could not focus on one particr point, as my body was sending signals to my brain from every nerve.


    My chest was heaving up and down, my nipples straining as he then held the right nipple between his teeth and pulled at it.


    A wave of pain traveled up from the point where he had bit in, but the pain was a huge turn on. I wanted to see how far he would go when he let go of the self-restraint he had put on himself. Every time his teeth softly reached for the nipple and pulled at it, heat rushed up my core. My juices were flowing already.


    I thought I would be able to resist his charm but the moment he touched me, all of my ns of resisting him and making him beg me flew out through the window.


    I was making udy like noises, and I had not even realized when I had begun grinding my hips against his hand.


    I wanted him deep inside me; I wanted more of him, and I was growing impatient.


    Cahan was being too slow, and it was not fair that I was almost naked in front of him, but he was still fully clothed.


    He continued assaulting me and I whimpered while he took his sweet time tormenting me. My hands itched to touch him, to tear his shirt apart and strip him as well.


    He was a big, muscr man, so he must be endowed well. And I had not even gotten a glimpse of him.


    I groaned in protest and reached my hand up to fist my hands in his


    shirt, but he smacked my hand back and pushed it back on the table.


    This was agonizing


    I did not want to do it his way. So, I raised my hand again and reached for his shirt, but he let out a growl and bit just a little harder onto my nipple this time.


    "You are being disobedient,¡± He growled and let go of my right breast that looked pinkish and swollen.


    His lips were puckered too, and my skin cried at the loss of touch. He pulled out his hands too in an instant, shocking me.


    ¡°I don''t like disobedient kittens.¡± He said, reaching for my hair and grabbing a fistful of them.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I want to touch you,¡± I croaked, and he rewarded me with a smile.


    "Oh yes, I know you do. But you get to do that only when I allow you to do so.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I whimpered. This was getting too much. I reached for his shirt again, but he smiled and pulled me closer, his mouth iming mine as he pushed me down on the table.


    My feet were dangling on the edges as he lowered my back on the table. A few papers and bits of stationery fell down, and I feared the noise would bring someone inside.


    ¡°Cal-" 1 began, eyeing the door. I did not want to be seen like this by anyone. But he ignored my protests and climbed up on the table, going on all fours as he studied me.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± He said, cing a finger on my lips.


    "You are very impatient. I have to teach you how to be patient. Are you willing to learn?¡± He asked. I wanted to say no just to irk him, but couldn''t dare to get that word out of my mouth.


    I nodded as he went back to check if the door was locked and returned a momentter. Behind me, the first rays of the sun were already beginning to peek through the horizon.


    when using a PKChang pas


    Thankfully, his room was on the upper floor, so nobody from the huge openwns would see us. "Zee?" He asked in a warning tone, and I nodded cagerly.


    Yes?


    "Good." He said.

 Chapter 138

    <h4>Chapter 138</h4>


    Zenovia Iy on the table, shivering in excitement as Cahan lifted me up, making me sit on the table. ¡°You are truly impatient, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cahan asks. I tried to hide the blush rising up my cheeks. I was sitting stark naked in front of him and he was still fully clothed. I was yet to see his broad muscles and run my hands through those six pack abs that he kept showing off in the gym and everywhere else. My hands itched to touch his bare skin and my eyes shone in excitement when I saw him gently reach for the top button of his shirt. He took his time, taking the button off, and I watched unabashedly, like a wanton as he smirked. He knew what he was doing and the effect he was having on me. I subconsciously reached forward and tried to grab his shirt, but pulled back before he could react. I did not want him to stop. He noticed my hesitation and asked, ¡°Do you want to?¡± I nodded eagerly as he slowly came towards me, pushing my legs apart to cage himself in them. I tried not to gasp as he made my legs cross behind him. "Help me then¡± His voice sounded husky to me as he leaned forward, letting me touch him again. I reached for the buttons and slowly undid them, one after another, as I saw his perfectly sculpted physique beneath that fabric. I had only seen his body from a distance and kissed him a few times, but I had never taken my time to roam my hands over him, leisurely, tracing every outline of his body. Cahan put on a show of how he was unaffected, but I heard a muffled groan escape his lips when I finally reached thest button and took off the shirt. His body was covered in scars and bruises. I recalled that one scar that was on his abdomen, the one that hadn''t been healing for some time. 1/7 09:01 Chapter 138. But as I traced my finger on the scabbed wound, I felt him shiver. Cahan, the fierce Lycan King, was shuddering under my touch. His breathing slowly grew ragged as I gently roamed my fingers over his broad torso, outlining every single bruise and scar that I saw. I could not help it. His body bore the marks of countless battles and struggles. There were faint white lines and marks that had faded but when I looked up in his eyes, I could almost see the pain he had felt when he must have gotten them. Leaning forward, I slowly kissed his chest, and I saw him take a quick breath to calm his nerves again. For the next few minutes, I only kissed every inch of his torso, telling him with my actions that he was a brave warrior and that he deserved this. With each kiss, I felt him twitch and groan as his inner demons began to ravage his mind. And it was then that I felt something else as well. Something near my wrist. his I looked up at Cahan to see his eyes darken. But they were not filled with rage or anger, instead, they were filled with a pure desire for me. The anchor bond in my wrist tingled a little. Was this what Drusi had meant by sensing a change in his emotions? Was this an indicator of his heightened emotions? But then it was not rage or the need to destroy or even kill. It was the need to have me. I could feel it through the anchor bond and it made an odd ripple of energy travel up my spine. Had I just worked out how intense his emotions have to be for me to notice it? I looked at him as he wrapped his hand around my waist and looked down-at-me, cing his forehead on mine. "Why do you have this effect on me?¡± He asked. I croaked, ¡°I have no idea¡± He smiled and pushed an idle lock of hair behind my ear. ¡°Since you did not rush it, I am not sure if you want to continue or not?¡± 2/7 09:01 Chapter 138 His words had not even left his mouthpletely before I blurted out. ¡°I want to continue... 99 Cahan caressed my hair as he shook his head. ¡°Greedy, aren''t you?¡± I nodded as my gaze fell on his trousers. Cahan was blessed with a good physique, so no doubt he would be endowed well. Yet, I gulped. Cahan slowly put my hands on his belt and urged me to continue. Before he could take his words back, I eagerly undid the belt and unzipped his trousers to let them pool down near his legs. Now he was standing just in his boxers and I could feel his member straining behind the flimsy fabric. I licked my dry lips as the anchor bond told me how much he was looking forward to this, to me satisfying him. My hands felt mmy and my heart raced as I reached for the drawstring and pushed them down, freeing his huge shaft out of its cage. And my eyes went wide at the sight. He truly was well endowed. He was huge and I hesitated a bit, gulping nervously. Slowly, I reached for the tip and wrapped my fingers around it or tried to. A groan escaped Cahan''s lips as he threw his head back and swore, I saw the way he clenched his fists and the veins in his body almost popped out as I clumsily grabbed his shaft and held it in my hand. ¡°Fuck!¡± Cahan swore again, and I felt him gopletely hard. I saw the way he was cursing and panting, though I had barely touched him. What if I stroked him? So I held onto his shaft and slowly began stroking it, my nails scraping on its surface every once in a while. ¡°Ahhh¡± Cahan''s moan filled my ears, and I chuckled. But the next thing I knew, Cahan had picked me up from the table and pushed me down on my knees. His shaft was directly in front of my mouth. I was trapped in between his legs and the table behind me. 3/7 09:01 Chapter 138 But there was nowhere else I would rather be. Cahan reached for my head and pushed it towards the tip that I gently kissed. His muscles strained as I wondered if I would be able to take him all in. His fingers ran through my long hair, his breathing heavy and hot as I kneeled between his legs, positioning myself better. The excitement of seeing him look so vulnerable and under my control as I suckled him made me lose the initial fear I had of taking him. Taking a deep breath, I held onto his legs as I tasted his skin and pushed back the skin to kiss the pink tip. With every stroke of my tongue, he shivered and his breathing grewbored. It was exhrating to see Cahan react like this, not in control but under my thumb, though I was the one on my knees. "Aah" He let out a strangled moan again and his hand reached for the back of my head, pushing it further towards him. I opened my mouth as wide as I could, taking him in to the best of my ability. My teeth grazed his twitching erection, tongue rubbing teasingly along the slit of the tip. Cahan was shivering and shuddering as I suckled gently and pulled back just before I could see his body go taut. ¡°You are...such a...tease..¡± Cahan rasped before he reached for my head annoyed at the loss of friction. He had done that to me countless times, brought me on the cusp of bliss, only to pull away at thest moment. It was only fitting that he got some taste of it, that he experienced how agonizing it was. But my teasing did notst for long, for he grabbed my head and pushed his massive length inside my mouth again. I barely got time to gasp as my teeth lightly grazed against his sensitive skin, making him twitch. I could not believe I managed to take him all in. But the sweet sound of his erratic breathing was worth the effort. The tip of his shaft was pressing against the back of my throat and for a second, I felt my eyes water. A/7 09:01 Chapter 138 Despite the heat surrounding us, Cahan did not fail to notice my slight difort and adjusted his angle. I too leaned forward, rxing as he slowly pushed forward again. I gripped the back of his knees hard, my nails wing at him as he kept pushing in until his shaft waspletely buried in my throat. I felt Cahan tremble and I fought the tears that would have shown up again. I could do this I wanted to do this. Thus, I slowly raised my hands, reaching for his waist instead of his knees as I raised myself up a little, trying to take in more of him. ¡°That''s a good girl,¡± Cahan spoke between raspy breaths as I felt tension build up. His member was twitching as I stroked it with my tongue and my teeth gently bit into the soft flesh. The effect was instantaneous. I felt Cahan groan as he held onto my head, pushing my mouth forward. He was nearing his climax. And his moans and strangled groans were like sweet music to my ears. He wasing undonepletely at my hands...or in my mouth. And I was ready for it. I stroked him further with my tongue until he could not hold back anymore. I felt a ssh of warm liquid spurt straight down my throat. His member kept twitching and his body shuddering as his release filled my mouth. I swallowed everyst bit of it as Cahan''s breathing slowly grew less ragged. Slowly, Cahan pulled back, hisrge member still erect, as he stumbled a little towards the chair and sat on it. He was struggling to breathe, the sensation overwhelming him. I could feel it all through our anchor bond. Cahan was heaving as his gaze flicked to the wall clock. It was almost 6Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    1 I got up slowly, picked my clothes, and wore them as he watched me without blinking. There was a coy smile on his face as I gathered his clothes and walked towards him before dropping them in hisp. 5/7 09:01 Chapter 138 "Hope you had fun¡± I said and began walking away, but his hand pulled me back and he gave me a long kiss before letting go. "Stop teasing me, Zee" He tried to speak in a warning tone, but it came out more like a plea. I chuckled at that. It was so satisfying to see him not loom over me or try to act like the King for once. ¡°You are quickly turning into a drug I can''t seem to get enough of.¡± ¡°That''s a good boy,¡± I whispered in his ear, making him snort as his lips found mine again.

 Chapter 139

    I tried moving away, but Cahan pulled me close for a deep kiss. I let him as his lips were just as


    much of a drug I craved and could not get enough of.


    My eyes fluttered, and I wanted to continue further but one nce outside the window told me that


    dawn was upon us.


    And I had things to do. Such as trying to find out Mirabel again and what the Rogue King was up to.


    There were too many enemies lurking around.


    So I kissed him back, feverishly, before pulling away. Cahan¡¯s golden eyes glowed in the first rays of


    sunlight as his fingers yed with my hair, tucking the loose strands behind my ear.


    ¡°Zee, if you dare anybody elsee even close to you, I will skin him alive,¡± Cahan said with a hint


    of possessiveness.


    I ced a finger on his chest, letting it trail over his bare skin. His body was chiseled to perfection,


    sculpted to remove all the faults he could ever have.


    Slowly, I trailed my finger over his heart and ced my palm over it, feeling the steady beating of his


    heart.


    ¡°Talk about dying again and I would dly take someone else-¡±


    I began, but I felt the grip of his hand on my hair tighten.


    ¡°You are mine, Zee.¡± He let out a low, throaty growl, and I loved how jealous he sounded. I smiled as


    his lips found the base of my neck and he sucked on the skin, making me tremble all over again.


    ¡°You better stay alive for that. Or you know¡­I might just¡­.¡±


    I teased, and I felt his teeth bite into my skin, sending a delicious shiver over my body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare threaten me, Zee! I have not even started doing anything yet¡±


    I tried not to shudder at that line before putting a bit of force on my hands to push him away.


    09:41


    ¡°Enough talk. Now, I have to get dressed and ready for the next tasks.¡±


    ¡°What tasks?¡± He murmured, trying to get hold of my arm that slipped away from him.


    ¡°Patience, my King. Let me go and learn all about this anchor stuff. You look after all the files scattered


    around¡±


    Cahan ran a hand through his hair but let me go. I tidied my clothes and appearance to the best of


    my ability and opened the door to check if anybody was around.


    Luckily the coast was clear, so I closed the door behind me and went outside, tiptoeing my way through


    the stairs and toward my room.


    Thunder helped me make little to no noise, and I slipped into my room quite easily. The first thing I did


    after reaching inside was take a few deep breaths.


    My heart was still beating frantically, and it had been excruciatingly hard to step away from the man of


    my dreams. But I did it since now. I was fueled with motivation to get to the puzzle of solving this


    mystery of the curse and maybe trying to find Mirabel again.


    By now, I was certain it was her roaming around in the forest and she had shown herself to me, so


    there was a good chance she would show up again.


    Though I wondered why she would roam the forest and be so close to Cahan¡¯s home, but never talk


    to him. Maybe she truly hated him and thought I was going to suffer the same fate as her daughter.


    Somehow, I was not afraid of that. Dying in Cahan¡¯s arms would be a peaceful death rather than


    dying fighting the rogues or enemies.


    Compared to Cahan¡¯s issues, the Rogue King and my issues with Sid sounded childish to me. It had


    been quite long since I heard from Sid and frankly, I hoped he had found a mate or gotten some other


    girl to toy with.


    Though that was selfish. Unless he changed, no girl deserves him. Celeste had spoiled him rotten.


    Wait, why was I even thinking about them?


    Shaking my head, I walked towards the bathroom and slipped out of the pajamas, letting my mind


    wander.


    09:41


    The shower water was hot and after my intense make out session with Cahan, it soothed my nerves.


    However, it was nothingpared to Cahan¡¯s touch that set my whole body on fire.


    Smiling to myself as I recalled his words, the look in his eyes, and the way he touched me, I scrubbed


    myself and took a generous scoop of a scented body wash to rejuvenate myself.


    I could not afford to spend the day sleeping in bed.


    After hearing Cahan¡¯s story, I was even more determined to be a good anchor and lift the curse


    off him. His secret was going to be safe with me.


    Thus, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel while using the other towel to dry my


    hair.


    I stared at my reflection and could clearly see the way my cheeks looked flushed. My brain was going


    crazy trying to find a way to break the curse, but I was not one of the First Children or any special wolf


    that would allow me to meet Selene directly.


    I was just a regr wolf without any divine bloodline. My gaze drifted to the anchor bond at my wrist. It


    somehow infused me with confidence. I somehow felt I would be able to dy the time until Cahan


    wentpletely feral.


    Feeling a bit confident, I dried my hair and was thinking of going to meet Drusi to talk all about the


    anchor bond and what more she could tell me about it.


    But then I was dragged out of my thoughts when my phone med. Ity by the corner of the bed and at


    first I ignored it.


    However, the notification ringtone rang again, and I let go of hairbrush before moving towards the bed


    to crawl upon it and phone.


    There were two messages waiting for me. Both were from an unkno number.


    Sid.


    I instantly knew it was him. I hadpletely forgotten about him and the texts he used to send me.


    But this time I did not feel nervous while reading them. The first message


    09:41


    Chapter 139 read:


    -Hey, how are you? I hope you are doing fine.-


    I did not bother replying to that and clicked on the next one.


    -I have something important to tell you. Can we talk?-


    I hesitated. Was this another one of his stupid traps to make me talk to


    him?


    -What is it about?-


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I sent a text without bothering to greet him or exchange pleasantries.


    -It is about the Rogue King. And I have some highly confidential information that I wish to share with


    you.-


    At that, my eyebrows furrowed. I had also forgotten the threat of the Rogue King and his unique tactic


    of separating the youth from the elders.


    -Go on-


    I hurriedly texted, and the reply was instant.


    -Not on the phone. We have to meet in person-


    I thought about it for a second before replying,


    -This better not be a trap-


    -I swear on my mother¡¯s life, I am not trying to trap you. You did not even say hello or ask how I was. I


    know you still don¡¯t trust me an don¡¯t want to push you away further.


    Odd. Sid was known for being a cocky young man, not this nice an sweet person he was trying to be.


    Was he really changing?


    -Fine. Give me the date and time-


    -Meet me at the same bar in an hour-


    An hour was too short of a time to think this through. If Cahan found out I had left to meet Sid again,


    he would kill me.


    But I wished to find out more about this Rogue King and I knew Cahan would just try to strangle Sid


    than talk to him calmly.


    I wanted to do this my way. Plus, afterst night, Cahan¡¯s mood was


    09:41


    bad. I wanted him to rx a bike and get all about his past 7 had to


    .abeast and our what this score information was. But Labo bad to grow of the S and ren withow


    Aveng


    xoshort of a moti I MAY NO


    2x Max, and I warned him once sain


    But it Or Lam novy talking t


    There was donger and hasab pood for received in an instant


    No, pokuse don¡¯t say that I swore on my mother and I swear well I am not going to harm or trick you


    Tam just ogge


    Twist to keep my tone as neutral as possible, but the fact that he swore on me as well told me that he


    was rothy worried about something I did


    bad revlings for mo


    Paix, I was not a work and tid human now I could take care of


    He did not know I had a wolf now I could handle him


    18


    ANAN


    ? ?bad. I wanted him to rx a little and forget all about his past. I had to


    meet Sid alone and find out what this secret information was. But I also had to get out of the mansion,


    meet Sid, and return without letting Cahan know.


    -An hour is too short of a notice. I can meet in two-


    -Alright. Can¡¯t wait to meet you.-


    He sent me a text, and I warned him once again.


    -No funny business, Sid. Or I am never talking to you again-


    The reply was longer and hastily typed, for I received it in an instant again.


    -No, please don¡¯t say that. I swore on my mother and I swear on you as well. I am not going to harm or


    trick you. I am just eager to see you again-


    I tried to keep my tone as neutral as possible, but the fact that he swore on me as well told me that he


    was really worried about something. I did not feel the same way about him, but he had stated many


    times that he had feelings for me.


    Plus, I was not a weak and timid human now. I could take care of myself.


    -Fine-


    He did not know I had a wolf now. I could handle him.

 Chapter 140

    I paced through the room, thinking about how to get out of the mansion. Cahan would freak out if he


    learned I tried running away again.


    Plus I also thought he woulde to check on me if I did not show up in a few hours. Yesterday night


    was rather¡­.eventful.


    If I suddenly vanished from my room after learning all about his past, he would think I shunned him or


    was second guessing my decision to be his anchor.


    I had to act smart.


    After thinking about it for a while, I decided to go meet him. Thus, I quickly dried my hair, put on casual


    clothes, simple jeans, and a cream colored top, and headed outside my room.


    The day had already begun, and it was almost time for breakfast. I climbed down the stairs and looked


    around to spot him. But he was nowhere to be found.


    My feet automatically turned to the dining area as I saw the servants and Martha starting to set up the


    table.


    Martha was holding a stash of dishes in her hand, and I almost bumped into her.


    ¡°Watch your step,¡± she said, not in an unkindly voice.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I replied, earning a smile from her.


    ¡°Just in time for breakfast. I was wondering if you are not feeling welltely.¡± She said, cing the


    dishes on the table.


    ¡°Why would you think so?¡± I asked, plucking an apple from the bowl of fruits.


    ¡°You just look pale and tired. There are bags under your eyes, see¡± She pointed to my face, but I


    shrugged it off.


    ¡°Nothing a long day of blissful sleep can¡¯t fix¡±


    After a bit of a chitchat, I asked the question I really wanted to.


    ¡°Where is the Lycan King?¡±


    She had gone in the kitchen to get some more stuff, so she answered me while continuing her work.


    ¡°Oh, he has been holed up in his office sincest night. Only left to shower and was back to work, I


    think.¡±


    I blushed at the memories the mention of his office desk brought up. ¡°Do we have any guests?¡±


    ¡°None that I know of.¡±


    That was a relief. She was busy preparing the breakfast dish for Cahan that I saw she was setting up


    with great care.


    An idea popped up in my head.


    ¡°I will take the breakfast to his office¡±


    She smiled at that. ¡°I thought you must be tired after the ordeal. It must have been exhausting.¡±


    I blinked.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    ¡°Bing an anchor of the Lycan King is no easy feat. You should be resting for at least a few days.¡±


    Oh, that.


    I did a twirl in front of her, ¡°Look at me. I am fine. Just add my small dish to the tray as well. I will have


    breakfast with him in his office.¡±


    Martha chuckled but did as I asked.


    Twenty minutester, I was bncing the tray in my hands while carrying it up the stairs, careful to not


    identally trip, and reached the outside of his office.


    Bncing the tray on just one hand, I knocked on the door once. But there was no reply.


    I knocked again, a bit louder this time yet there was no answer. Getting


    slightly annoyed, I did not bother to knock but just pushed the door away with my elbow and walked


    inside.


    And I saw a sight that shocked me.


    Cahan had his head bent down on the table, his messy hair falling all over and he was¡­.snoring.


    I tried not to chuckle or make any noise as I gently ced the tray on one of the side tables and tiptoed


    my way through the office.


    There was nobody around except him and the window was left slightly open, a soft breeze flowing in.


    A strand of his hair fluttered, and I only stood by the side, staring at him.


    He was sleeping like a baby with his face resting on the back of his hand. My heart went out to him.


    When was thest time he properly rested? He was battling on a lot of fronts and the inner conflict was


    definitely taking a toll on him.


    I slowly raised my hand to push away the strands of hair that were tickling his cheek and could not help


    but run a hand through his hair.


    Cahan moved, the hand that was not beneath his face reached for my waist and curled up behind


    me, pulling me closer to him.


    I smiled and whispered, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    He did not bother opening his eyes but pulled me closer and I continued caressing his head.


    ¡°Your touch is lovely. I don¡¯t mind being woken up if it is you who does


    that.¡±


    My heart fluttered at that line as I yed with his hair. His hand brushed my bare skin when his thumb


    skimmed over the waistband of my jeans and for a moment, I forgot everything


    ¡°You are all ready to go somewhere,¡± He said though it sounded more like a question. I hesitated and


    when I did not immediately answer, he opened his eyes to look at me.


    The golden orbs of his eyes were shining brightly and in the warm morning sun, his eyes looked even


    pretty. Every inch of him was worth gawking at.


    ¡°I got us breakfast. Though if you are sleepy, maybe, you should go to your room to get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°With you?¡± He asked, and I tried to hide the blush creeping up my face.


    He grinned as I hastily stepped away and turned around, too nervous to look him in the eye.


    That only made him straighten his back and stretch his body as he stifled


    a yawn.


    ¡°Rx, I will go wash my face first, then we eat¡±


    I nodded and set up the dishes on the small round table on the side where he usually had quick bites in


    between pack meetings.


    Today thankfully, he wouldn¡¯t have to gobble food in a rush.


    By the time I was done, he returned from the washroom, wiping his face. with a towel.


    ¡°I am not sure when I dozed off but I have plenty of work to do.¡±


    I pointed at the te in front of me. ¡°The breakfast is going cold, eat first¡±


    He rolled his sleeves up and muttered, ¡°So bossy¡±


    I tried to keep a straight face as he started to eat and after ensuring he was not just shoving it down his


    throat, I touched my food as well.


    He finished his te in under five minutes as my eyes drifted toward the wall clock. I had promised to


    meet Sid in two hours and thirty minutes were already up.


    While drinking the juice, he looked at me and asked again. ¡°You did not tell me where you are going.¡±


    That was a relief. He did not object to me leaving but was just curious about where it was that I wished


    to go.


    ¡°Oh, I have not really stepped out of the mansion much so I figured I had to roam through the town a


    little and get myself acquainted with the ce. Better than sitting in my room and doing nothing.¡±


    He only kept looking at me and I hastily added, ¡°I also needed some stuff.¡±


    ¡°What stuff? The servants can get it for you. You don¡¯t need to go by yourself.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I have never had servants in my life. I was the one who used to get groceries and


    other stuff from the market. I used to know what is the price of lemons and where to get the juiciest


    ones.¡±


    Cahan raised an eyebrow. ¡°You want to find lemons?¡±


    I let out a sigh. ¡°That is not what I mean, and you know that. I just¡­don¡¯t want to feel like this mansion


    is a golden cage. I want it to feel like home.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    At that, he took a pause and gave me a tight smile.


    I reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ¡°I am not going to run away, Cal. You know it. But I


    have to have the freedom toe and go as I wish. Or this ce¡­it will never feel like home to me.¡±


    He reached for my hand with his other and gently stroked his thumb over the back of my hand.


    ¡°Do you think of this as a cage? You know about the dangers out there¡­¡±


    He began, but I cut him off. ¡°The dangers are always going to stay. But I am your anchor, Cal. And I


    also have my wolf. I am not weak, plus you have trained me. You have to believe in me.¡±


    I saw the conflicted look on his face and I pressed on.


    ¡°Plus, I also don¡¯t know how far I can be from you to sense your emotions through the anchor bond. I


    have to try to figure that out as well, but how can I do that if I am always around you?¡±


    He gave me a disgruntled look.


    ¡°You say that as if staying around me is an inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I will take a car from your garage. Any that you wish.


    Plus, I have my phone too. Stop worrying so much about myself.¡±


    He sighed and squeezed my hand. ¡°Just be careful and return home

 Chapter 141

    I felt bad lying to Cahan, but I had not liedpletely. I did need some stuff for myself and just being


    in the mansion felt restrictive to me.


    I had to go out on my own and look around. Not that we were in too remote of a location as this was all


    werewolf territory, but the human settlement was close by and I had not really interacted much with


    them except Harry, who left a sour taste in my mouth.


    Cahan asked me to take any car from the garage and asked one of the servants to drive for me. But I


    knew that was another ploy of him wanting me to be safe and secured, and probably also under his


    watch, so I politely declined.


    ¡°No, Cal. As I said, I wish to go get stuff on my own.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was just a suggestion¡±


    I shook my head and pressed a kiss to his forehead as he mumbled, ¡°Thank you for being there for me¡±


    ¡°I will always be¡±


    I replied as he got busy with his work and I left the office. I sprinted towards the garage and hastily


    grabbed one of the keys from the hangers, having all the keys by the wall.


    I nced at the watch and was relieved that I still had an hour. The taxi had taken not more than that


    time to reach the bar.


    Plus, I had a phone to follow the map instead of depending on strangers to guide me. So I hopped into


    one of the not too shy sedans, fastened my seat belt, and drove the car outside the gate, taking my


    first step outside the mansion on my own without any worries.


    My mind was not too nervous about meeting Sid. I knew I was strong enough to handle him. Plus, I


    sensed he was trying really hard to win my


    trust.


    Staying true to his word, he had not made any contact with me over months and only messaged me


    when he found some information about


    the Rogue King. My nails did dig into the steering wheel when I thought about him.


    There was not much to go on about him, no face, no name, nothing. He had appeared out of nowhere


    and was threatening not just the alphas but


    Cahan too. And he was aware of my existence and somehow knew I was linked to Cahan.


    I had one eye glued on the phone while the other was on the road as I drove through the bustling city


    streets. It was nice to see people go on about their daily lives, oblivious to the existence of werewolves


    or lycans or rogues.


    Sometimes, I wished I had reallye to stay in the human town and lived an ordinary life. But that


    was before I heard about Cahan¡¯s true story. Now, I wished to stay with him and give him a peaceful,


    quiet life.


    And for that to happen, I had to eliminate his problems one by one. The curse and the moon Goddess


    were far from my reach, but the Rogue King wasn¡¯t. So I focused my attention on him.


    I also kept checking if there was some car or suspicious vehicle following me by ncing in the rear


    view mirror from time to time. I would not be/ surprised if Cahan asked somebody to keep an eye on


    me from a distance.


    Thankfully, there was nobody following me. I also made a mental note to really buy some stuff for


    myself instead of returning empty handed.


    Despite my multiple protests, Cahan handed me his credit card. I had some money in my savings


    that I used to put in my piggy bank sinc childhood and was nning to use that.


    But Cahan insisted I take the card and buy whatever I wanted with worrying about the price tag.


    The drive to the bar was not that long, and I reached the bar pretty quickly. However, instead of going


    inside directly, I called Sid.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± I asked when he picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°On my way. Just give me five minutes¡±


    I could hear the sound of car honks from his side, thanks to my wolf,


    Thunder, who kept assuring me that she would pounce on him the minute he tried to touch me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should go somewhere else?¡± Thunder spoke in my head.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Look at the ce. It is a bar that usually operates at night. It would be empty at daytime and the huge


    facade is made of tinted ss. We have no idea what is waiting for us inside it.


    At first, the bar looked like an ordinary ce but Thunder¡¯s words made me rethink.


    Now that I looked at the bar from the outside, I did not feelfortable going inside it. It looked mostly


    empty and doubted who could be lurking behind those tinted ss walls. Thest time I came here at


    night, there was a lot of crowd and lights so I missed out on noticing it but now I could see it clearly.


    ¡°Good observation, Thunder¡± I thanked my wolf and spoke to Sid who had yet to disconnect the phone.


    ¡°I want to talk to you somewhere more open. Is there a restaurant or cafe nearby?¡±


    I asked.


    Sid was quick to reply, ¡°I promise, Zen. I am not going to kidnap or harm you.¡±


    He kept trying to convince me while I browsed through my phone and quickly found a cafe that was just


    500 meters from the bar.


    ¡°Meet me at Friends Cafe.¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But-¡± He began, but I interrupted him. ¡°I am noting to that bar. If you don¡¯t want to meet me, fine, I


    will drive back home.¡±


    ¡°No no, no, I aming to the Cafe¡±


    I disconnected the phone and drove to the Cafe, it was a small cafe but right on the street and there


    were few people having food.


    It would be harder for him to do anything suspicious with so many people watching. Thunder¡¯s intuition


    had possibly saved me from a trap.


    Feeling much more reassured, I walked into the cafe and sat by a table, not too far away from the other


    customers yet not too close to them that they would hear our discussion.


    I was not really hungry as I just had breakfast, so I just looked around and within a minute I heard the


    sound of another car being parked outside.


    Sid walked in through the entrance, wearing a red shirt and ck pants. His eyes scanned through the


    area before they glued on me.


    I instantly saw the way his features changed. There was relief in his eyes. He waved at me and I gave


    him a cursory smile as he walked towards the table.


    I observed his face and noticed the way he looked. He seemed worried and nervous, not the usual


    pompous and carefree attitude.


    There were bags under his eyes, and he looked more athletic and rugged. The boyish look on his face


    had been reced by that of an adult.


    However I still had my reservations.


    He gave me a small smile and pulled up a chair in front of me.


    ¡°Hi, are you hungry? This ce has some nice shakes, I hear. Is that why you chose the cafe?¡±


    Sid asked, cing his car keys and phone on the table.


    ¡°No, I did not want to go into the bar, so I chose this cafe randomly.¡±


    He noticed the curt tone in my voice and nodded. ¡°Right, would you like to have some coffee then?¡±


    ¡°The Rogue King, Sid. I am not here to chitchat with you.¡±


    He let out a sigh and raked a hand through his hair. ¡°I know you have no reason to trust me, and the


    only reason you are here is because you want to help him.¡±


    There was a slight jealousy in his voice when he said that. At least, he


    knew I was never going to fall for him,


    ¡°That is correct¡±


    ¡°I will tell you everything, but can you at least not be so¡­dry to me? I am trying to help you¡±


    I ced my hand on the table, a little louder than necessary, and looked around when I noticed one of


    the guests looking my way.


    Lowering my voice, I replied, ¡°Then do that. Don¡¯t waste your time and mine because we are not


    happening. Never ever.¡±


    Sid nodded with a defeated sigh. ¡°I know that. And I realize it is my fault and the stupid behaviour that


    pushed you away from me. The only one to me in this case is me. I just wanted to say sorry to you


    again. I will not break your trust. Not again.¡±


    He looked me in the eye and his voice sounded earnest, but my past experience with him did not really


    allow me to trust him easily.


    ¡°Only time can tell that. Now, can we please move to the Rogue King and what information you have?¡±


    He nodded and instead of saying a word; he reached for his phone and opened his phone gallery.


    Pushing the phone towards me, he pointed at the screen with the image.


    ¡°I wanted to show you this¡±


    I peered at that image for too long to process what was going on in it.


    Author¡¯s note: Hey readers, I have started a new story titled ¡°The Alpha¡¯s Allure: Married to my enemy¡¯


    which you can read on NovelOasis, LeReader, Noveir, Literie, Novelbar, Metronovel, Yumread,


    Novelenders, Easynovel. The new book is an enemies to lovers and contract marriage werewolf story


    with fifty plus chapters released so far and is updated frequently as well. I hope you guys support it as


    much as you love Cal and Zee.

 Chapter 142

    Zenovia


    I looked up at Sid with wide eyes and then back at the image in front of


    1.


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Two days ago¡± He answered.


    Shit.


    It was a massacre. A gruesome one. Bodies were lying everywhere but the fact that the corpses were


    covered in blood was not what was horrifying.


    It was the fact that all of them were killed in a very unique way. The bodies were strewn around the


    ce, blood pooling around from a single wound or rather double wounds from the faces of all those


    who were dead.


    Their eyes had been gouged out but the rest of the body was devoid of any signs of torture or injury. It


    was as if somebody plucked out their eyes but left the rest of the body intact.


    It made my stomach churn and I could not look at it for more than a


    minute.


    Thankfully, I did not find any familiar faces among them which was a relief.


    Sid let me stare at the image for a second before adding.


    ¡°Now you see why I did not want to send it to you on the phone.¡±


    I nodded my head.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Yet there were a few things I did not understand.


    ¡°What pack do they belong to?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°I am not too sure. The packs are trying to keep it hush and also from letting the news reach the Lycan


    King?


    ¡°Why? He would try to help them.¡±


    Sid took a pause and answered.


    11:03


    ¡°It could be that they don¡¯t trust him anymore and want to take matters into their own hands or that they


    fear he would snap their necks for letting the Rogue King im innocent lives.¡±


    I mustered some courage and dared to look at the picture again.


    ¡°Their eyes were gouged out but that wouldn¡¯t kill a person, right? I don¡¯t see any sign of violence or


    injuries on the rest of the body of the


    corpses.¡±


    Sid smiled. ¡°Good observation. I noticed that too. And somehow I fear that he might want to target you


    again and you would be reckless enough to want to fight him.¡±


    Huh. He thought I was brave? I had not even been able to fight him thest time he tried to drug me.


    As if reading my thoughts, he added.


    ¡°Bravery is not just when you fight. It is when you take a stand against the wrong. I am beginning to see


    the subtle changes in your behavior and attitude. For the love of Goddess, I came here to warn you to


    not go looking for him. He is a psychopath, Zen.¡±


    For the love of Goddess¡­if only I had any love left for her.


    The cogs in my brain were starting to turn. An idea was taking shape in my mind.


    ¡°The Rogue King did that for sure but why? He has been silent for all these days and suddenly he


    starts killing people out of the blue? That makes no sense.¡±


    Sid rubbed his left temple with a finger before answering.


    ¡°He has not been silent all these days. His earlier n of separating the young ones from their homes


    did not go down as well as he had hoped for.¡±


    I titled my head, ¡°What do you mean?¡¯


    ¡°When he came up with that n, he thought the lycan King woulde looking for him. He thought


    the Lycan King would be desperate and want to negotiate a truce or talk. Sadly, King Cahan never


    showed any signs of doing so.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± I asked and Sid nodded as I pulled his phone towards me and


    11:03


    began looking at other images in his phone. It was rude to simply start scrolling through the images on


    somebody else¡¯s phone without asking permission.


    I had my manners. However, Sid did not bother checking what I was doing with his phone as he


    continued.


    Instead, he looked at the menu and ordered sandwiches, fries and juice for both of us.


    ¡°No, I am not hungry, Sid.¡± I waved my hands off when he repeatedly asked me what I would like to


    have.


    Sid changed his order and ordered just juice for me while he kept his order same. In fact, he doubled it.


    I ignored the urge to ask him why he was eating so much at this hour and waited for his answer to my


    earlier question.


    When he saw me looking at him expectantly, he began.


    ¡°The Rogue King expected the parents of the kids to pressure the Lycan King to give in to his demands


    so that he could have an easy way out, but Cahan did no such thing. I assume he was ready to let a


    few kids die and see how far the Rogue King would go.¡±


    At that I shook my head.


    ¡°Cahan would never let innocent people die, at least not willingly. He had his men look after the kids


    from a distance and had ordered them to take action if anybody tried to harm them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the Rogue King thought too¡­I mean about not letting the kids die part. But turns out


    Cahan did not budge in all these months that the kids left their homes. The Rogue King wanted him


    flustered and miserable. But the Lycan King turned him anxious. He carried out his meetings and lived


    his life as if nothing had ever happened. No party was sent to search for the Rogue King I think. Even I


    am surprised how the Lycan King let that slide. He is supposed to protect us after all.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what the Lycan King has gone through, Sid. And I am sure you don¡¯t expect him to


    make his ns public so that it would easily reach the Rogue King¡¯s ears.¡±


    Sid nodded. ¡°Fair point. I would still say King Cahan has really not been paying attention.¡±


    11:03


    I narrowed my eyes at Sid.


    ¡°Speaking ill about your King while you lounge calmly in that chair is kind of low, you know that, right?¡±


    Sid straightened his back but did not say anything further.


    I recall Cahan always being buried in files and meetings. He did not even eat or sleep much while he


    was trying to figure out how to solve the issue peacefully.


    Then there was the fact that the Rogue King had not really left any solid clues that led to him. There


    were confusing ones that would make Cahan¡¯s men go round and round in circles.


    After a few times, Cahan simply asked them to stop looking for the clues and just keep an eye on the


    children. And Cahan had not said it expressly, but I think he feared he would lose his cool and go


    feral if he ever stepped into the battlefield and hurt innocent people instead of enemies.


    I strongly believed that was the reason he would be holed up in the office.


    Besides, a lot had happened. Cahan had already lost his control once and had almost gravely injured


    Elijah and destroyed a good chunk of the openwnsst time. I had be his anchor as well. But


    that


    knowledge was limited to our pack. Sid did not know of it nor did I want to tell him stuff.


    It was always good to have an element of surprise.


    ¡°So he decided to leave a more violent message for Cahan?¡± I inquired.


    Sid shrugged, ¡°Seems like it.¡±


    I had been scrolling through the gallery and I saw a photo of our living room where my father was


    seated with Luna Celeste.


    They were having dinner and father appeared to be a bit tense. His health had declined. There were


    bags under his eyes and his cheeks seemed hollow. He had lost weight as well.


    My fingers hovered over the image for a second as I looked at the most recent image of my father


    before swiping it away.


    And then there was another image of my cabin, the ce I had been calling my home before I was


    thrown out of the house after Luna Celeste


    11:03


    Chapter 142 showed up.


    The cabin was just like I had seen itst time but in a better condition. The room was not in an


    abandoned state but was clean and not turned into a storehouse.


    A lump began to form in my throat that I quickly swallowed before pushing the phone in Sid¡¯s direction.


    If he noticed my reaction, he did not say anything.


    ¡°Now the more important question- how does he know you? And how do you have these images?¡±


    Sid crouched further and lowered his voice to a whisper after ncing around to see that the other


    customers were not eavesdropping.


    ¡°Thest time he was looking for Cahan¡¯s weakness, he searched through all the packs and thought


    you were one because you were the only girl the Lycan King had ever taken in his pack. And since you


    have be a permanent member of his pack, the Rogue King thinks you


    still are Cahan¡¯s weakness.¡±


    After learning all about the Moon Goddess and the First Children, the threat posed by the Rogue King


    did not scare me anymore but I did fear losing Cahan. He did not deserve any more hatred or rivalry.


    He deserved to live his life quietly and in peace.


    ¡°Am I?¡± I asked, a bit too sharply.

 Chapter 143

    Zenovia


    Sid hastily answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He does. He only got in touch with me..or rather I received an


    anonymous tipst time to bring you to him because he wanted to see in person who was the girl who


    had managed to make the Lycan King break his rules.¡±


    ¡°About that. Where were you going to throw me for the Rogue King to do whatever he wanted to do


    with me?¡±


    I folded my hands on my chest, leaning back on the chair to put as much space between us as I could.


    ¡°I am sorry, Zen. I just was not thinking straight at that time.¡±


    ¡°That is not an answer to my question!¡± I said sharply.


    Sid sighed. ¡°I was told to leave you on the outskirts of the forest,


    blindfolded and tied to a tree. In exchange, I would have received a huge reward.¡±


    ¡°So much for being in love with me,¡± I said sarcastically though I was brimming with anger that he


    would leave me like that.


    ¡°No, I would never do that to you. My stupid brain thought I should mark you first so that he would


    nevery a im on you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you wanted to trick the Rogue King, mark me, and also take away my free will from me


    because you were so in love with me.¡±


    My fingers dug into the armrest of my chair and that was all I could do to prevent myself from trying to


    rip his head off.


    I had cooked and cleaned for him for so many months. I should have poisoned his food instead.


    ¡°You know very well how that n turned out.¡±


    Sid¡¯s shoulders sagged and he ran his hand through his hair.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t trust me. I have never given you a reason to. But I am willing to do anything to prove


    it to you that I have changed. Anything you say.¡±


    I looked him in the eye, trying to ascertain what new n he was


    11:40


    Chapter 143 cooking.


    The waiter returned to our table holding arge te of food for him and just mango juice for me.


    Sid was practically salivating at the sight of food and finished a sandwich before I even took a sip from


    my ss of juice. He did not even breathe and turned his attention to the next sandwich while also


    stuffing his mouth with a handful of fries. He was eating as if he had not had food in days.


    I wondered if Celeste was eating all the food for herself and leaving scraps for her son. Knowing how


    vile she was, I would not be surprised if she really did so.


    When he began eating the third sandwich, I took a sip of the mango juice and asked,


    ¡°What led to this change of heart, if I may ask? Is your mother not filling your ears and heart with more


    poison?¡±


    I did not care that she was still the Luna of our pack or that she was around my father. She needed him


    until Sid was worthy enough to take the alpha title. And I was not going to sugarcoat it.


    Sid was eating ravenously and answered the question with a half stuffed mouth.


    ¡°You¡­or rather, your absence.¡±


    Sid answered, not trying to justify his mother¡¯s behavior.


    That was a start. But that could be because he was fully focused on the food. He had eaten almost


    eight sandwiches, tworge fries, and finished one ss of juice while two more were still waiting for


    him,


    Why was he so hungry? It was weird to see him gobble up like a hound, but I did not want to be


    concerned about him.


    He finished the other ss of juice as well but his answer made me narrow my eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I agree that I have always been a spoiled brat and most of my bullying or ire was subjected to you.


    Mom told me from a young age that you were a threat to my position and if I did not turn your father


    against you,


    11:40


    we would be thrown to the streets. I¡­I believed that.¡±


    ¡°Most certainly you did,¡± I quipped.


    ¡°I was na?ve and stupid, Zen. I only wanted to be the alpha, but I had no idea what responsibilities it


    brought forth. Until you were around, the chores always got done, we never had to wonder what to


    cook or who would do theundry, you did most of the work and we left you a small wooden cabin that


    was smaller than a bathroom to live in.¡±


    He crouched forward again and added, ¡°I will be honest with you. At first, I was delighted to see that


    our n had worked, and you were not around anymore. No threat to my alpha title, since the blood of


    your father ran in your veins. But, when your father was given the medicines to slow him down, and I


    was slowly given the alpha responsibilities, I realized it took a lot more work to keep a pack functioning.


    I had to find people to work and do their tasks, but since I was given the temporary charge, I realized


    none of my friends or men I trusted to help me ever wanted to work. Like me, they all only wanted to


    drink and party.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, you gave father what?¡±


    I asked, my voice rising a little as Sid nched.


    ¡°I can exin.¡± He said, wiping the back of his hand on his mouth like a grizzly bear. He even burped


    and apologized, but I was not offended by his table manners in the slightest.


    ¡°You better do,¡± I said, my voice turning angry and cold.


    Is that the reason father looked so pale and weak? Luna Celeste was giving him some medicines to


    slow him down. What exactly did that


    even mean?


    The


    ¡°Look, I stopped giving him that when I realized what it was, medicine that I thought was for treating his


    injuries turned out to be some potion that would turn his brain foggy and thought process unclear.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My voice again.


    The nerve of this woman! I wanted to snap her neck and kill her with own hands. Never before had I


    wanted to hurt her so badly.


    First, she was the reason my mother died of heartache, she threw me ou of my own house and now


    she was poisoning my father as well? To wha lengths would this woman go?


    11:40


    I had somehow survived the hurt of being thrown out of my own house and had been too weak to fight


    her back when my mother died. I had been young, alone, and a stranger in my own house.


    She was the reason I did not get to live much with my mother. Her arrival was the reason my life had


    turned into a mess.


    But I thought all this time, even if she was cunning and shrewd, she might love my father. Even if she


    had snatched everything from me and thrown me on the streets, I somehow hoped she would love and


    adore her mate.


    But that was not the case.


    Isn¡¯t that what mates were supposed to do? My mother would always stare at my father as if her world


    revolved around him, and as if he was the sole reason for her joy and existence.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    That was why when he did not love her anymore, my mother could not bear the heartache and died.


    Tears stung at the back of my eyes as I recalled my early childhood and how I had once been happy


    with my parents, dreaming that I would always have them beside me.


    I was literally shaking with anger as I recalled the way Celeste had walked in one day, iming to be


    my father¡¯s fated mate and cast aside his chosen mate, even though my mother loved him to the moon


    and back.


    How Ironic that the Moon Goddess had hurt so many people that mattered to me in my life as if she


    had a personal vendetta against me.


    ¡°Zen, are you¡­okay?¡± Sid asked tentatively, wanting to reach out a hand to me but afraid that I would


    spontaneouslybust.


    I coiled my fingers into fists and rammed my hand into the table with such force that a small crack


    appeared on the table.


    Sid looked at my flushed expression and the way the crack appeared on the table. His gaze traveled


    from the crack up to my face, and his eyes widened.


    ¡°You found your wolf.¡±


    Well, shit. So much for the element of surprise.

 Chapter 144

    I thought of covering up the truth with something, but there was nothing my mind could conjure. Sid had


    known me since I was wolfless, so he knew this level of strength would not be attained by drinking


    some magical potion.


    I let out a sigh.


    ¡°That is not the point,¡± I argued, trying to steer the conversation back to my father and the Rogue King.


    ¡°Zen, that is incredible,¡± Sid added, and I saw the way his face brightened. He looked¡­.really happy for


    me and my achievement.


    However, my brain did not want to believe he was being authentic. His earlier betrayal had left a huge


    scar on my heart.


    And the fact that he was behaving like a brainless puppet of Celeste did not sit well with me.


    ¡°I am not here to hear your praises, Sid. If you want me to trust you, you have to work for it. And that


    begins with telling me what exactly is going on in our home.¡±


    Sid had a deer caught in the headlights look. He fumbled a little, opening and closing his mouth several


    times before he could form a coherent


    sentence.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know where to begin, Zen. Our pack is all over the ce. I only show Mom that I have it


    under control, but I don¡¯t. I also cannot ask your father about it because it will show him that I am not


    capable. And Goddess knows, I have been trying hard to not let everything fall apart. The finances are


    a mess. We have no way of tracking how many debts we own, how to keep administration effective,


    nor do I know how to keep everybody from doing their own thing. It just feels like the pack is more of a


    train running without a break. It is going to copse and I don¡¯t know what to do about it.¡±


    He threw me a pleading look, and I recalled how they had everything easy because most of the work


    was thrown at me. Right from doing the dishes, getting groceries and vegetables to doingundry, I


    was the one who did everything and ensured the servants and maids were not


    overloaded with work. I had everything organized.


    14:56 [


    It was both saddening to see my pack¡¯s condition worsen, but I felt proud of having kept everything


    under control, though I had never been an


    official Luna or someone of importance.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the real reason you wanted to meet me?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.


    That could exin the reason he hogged down on the food as if he had never tasted a good sandwich


    in his life.


    My foot was tapping restlessly on the floor and I had folded my hands on my chest so I would not


    identally break something again.


    The fact that the so-called mate of my father was toying with his health had me fuming. But I could not


    run to the pack when I already had to return to Cahan¡¯s mansion.


    My gaze fell on the watch, and I realized that my time was running low. I had to leave in ten or fifteen


    minutes.


    But that did not seem usible after hearing whatever Sid was telling me, So I quickly reached for my


    phone and dropped Cahan a message.


    -Don¡¯t worry about me. I am doing fine. Might be a littlete because I am confused what to buy-


    I had barely kept the phone on the table when I heard a beep.


    -Buy it all, no limits on the card-


    I smiled faintly at the message. It was good that he had not given me a hundred calls since I left, nor a


    single message to check if I reached a mall, if I needed something, etc.


    I liked that he was not keeping a watch on me. Ignoring the slight guilt I felt for taking advantage of his


    trust, I texted him a short message.


    -Very funny. I will be home soon-


    Thankfully, he sent a short -Okay, take care- and did not message me again. I would have to thank him


    for being so nice.


    Sid was observing the slight grin on my face when I ced the phone back in my pockets and I put on


    my serious face again.


    ¡°You really like him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    14:56


    Sid asked.


    ¡°Like who?¡± I faked confusion and Sid¡¯s voice turned icy.


    ¡°I see the way you smile or grow worried only when there is a certain person involved. I don¡¯t have to


    guess who makes you smile like that. However, answer me one question.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What do you even see in him? He is cursed and bound to go feral at some point, right? What makes


    him so special?¡±


    ¡°Sid¡­¡± I warned.


    I was not going to discuss my romantic life nor justify my love for Cahan to him.


    Sid raised both his hands in surrender and replied, ¡°Sorry, old habit. I will try not to mention it again.¡±


    I schooled my features intoposure again and steered the conversation back to the important topic.


    Sid looked upset for a while but I was not interested in my feelings for Cahan nor share why the


    Lycan King was so special to me.


    ¡°So let me get this straight. You wanted to provide me information about the Rogue King and in


    exchange, ask for my help to run the pack without letting anybody know that you were taking help from


    me. Despite all your false praise of me and how much you have grown to respect me, you cannot


    fathom sharing the truth with the others of how the weak, horny and gullible girl that you and your


    mother threw out of the pack and sold to the Lycan King was helping you retain your im to the alpha


    title.¡±


    Sid shifted ufortably in his seat.


    ¡°I did not lie about the respect part-¡±


    He began but I was not willing to hear him. I was more worried about my father and his deteriorating


    health. I would make him see Celeste¡¯s true face and her own son would help me. But first, I had to


    ensure Sid would not continue harming my father and would stick to his side and mine when I revealed


    the truth to the entire pack. Celeste had everybody brainwashed and I had to carefully gather proof to


    undo everything.


    It would take time and meticulous nning,


    14:56


    My gaze flicked to Sid who was still looking at me with a bit of hurt in his expressions.


    ¡°Okay fine. I do need your help with a few things and I admit I have been an asshole to you all my life. I


    have apologized to you over and over. And do you see me trying to push you in a corner and drug you?


    I am keeping


    word that I won¡¯t harm you. Can you not see that?¡±


    my


    His voice sounded pained and the look on his face was one of pure desperation. But desperation was


    known to make you things you otherwise would not. He would never acknowledge needing my help


    unless I was thest resort.


    I did not bother answering his question. I did not want him to think I was desperate for my father¡¯s well


    being as well.


    Even though my father had called me names and thrown me out of the pack, I believe Celeste was evil


    enough to have brainwashed him into thinking I was the problem.


    Somehow, my heart still hoped I could get my father to love me and see her for what she was. And he


    was the only family I had. I had lost my mother, I was not going to lose him too.


    After thinking about it for a while, I suggested.


    ¡°Let us make a deal. I will offer you suggestions on how to get the pack in shape like earlier and in


    return you promise to never do anything that would jeopardize father¡¯s health.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped his lips.


    ¡°I would be more than happy to-¡±


    But I cut him off and added, ¡°I would also need you to fill me in on anything you find out about the


    Rogue King and keep me updated on his ns and such.¡±


    ¡°It will be a little hard as I need-¡±


    ¡°Yes or no, Sid?¡± I asked sharply. I still had to find something to buy and show Cahan that I had really


    been busy with shopping. There was no time for more chitchat.


    ¡°You have a deal.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 145

    After the meeting with Sid, my mind was churning as I drove to a nearby clothing store and simply


    bought a few jeans, tops, and lingerie.


    So far, I had only been using what Cahan had bought for me and, though it was still his money, I


    needed something of my own.


    Soon, I would take on some tasks and ask him to pay me a sry or something so that I did not feel I


    was robbing him and splurging using his card.


    For now, I bought a few clothes and hygiene essentials and left the shop in ten minutes after hurriedly


    paying the cashier.


    There was no time to waste. With the knowledge Sid had given me, I needed to n my next steps


    carefully.


    That involved stepping out of the mansion more often. My fingers gripped the steering wheel harder


    than necessary, imagining it was Celeste¡¯s neck.


    The fact that she had been feeding my father some drug to slow him down and his senses made me


    want to drive home and just snap her neck.


    But it would not be that easy. She had to be exposed before I did that or that will only turn her into a


    martyr and a viin in the eyes of my pack.


    And then there was this Rogue King who was hellbent on making Cahan¡¯s life miserable. I gritted my


    teeth and drove through the winding streets before reaching the mansion.


    I had gotten familiar with the streets and driving around by myself already. That infused me with some


    confidence.


    Smiling to myself, I parked the car in the garage and had barely managed to step out when I ran into


    something¡­or someone.


    Two strong hands embraced me from behind, and I felt Cahan dip his head to bury it in the crook of


    my neck.


    ¡°I thought you were busy with meetings and work¡­¡± I spoke, letting him pull me closer.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    14:56


    I felt him inhale sharply as he answered.


    ¡°Do you know how hard these past hours for me have been?¡± He asked, and I slowly turned around to


    face him.


    Linking my arms behind his neck, I looked him in the eye and asked.


    ¡°Were you afraid that I was going to run away and never return again?¡±


    Cahan raised his hand to cup my cheek.


    ¡°You scare the hell out of me¡±


    I chuckled, and he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°This is not funny, Zee.¡±


    I suppressed another chuckle and answered,


    ¡°It feels nice to see the Lycan King all worked up, especially if it is due to


    me.¡±


    A sly grin appeared on his face.


    ¡°You got what you wanted?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, but I cannot sit in the mansion doing nothing. I need to find some work to keep myself


    busy or I would go find it elsewhere.¡±


    His grip on my waist tightened just a little as he lowered his forehead, cing it on mine.


    ¡°You are stuck with me, you know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Lycan King. But I want to do something of importance.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± He asked, his lips hovering just above mine.


    ¡°I want to be the one leading the operations of the Rogue King.¡±


    He had leaned forward to brush his lips upon mine and my eyes fluttered shut, waiting for the contact


    that never happened.


    I waited for a few seconds but slowly felt his hands slipping away from


    1.


    Confused, I opened my eyes to see him stepping away.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked and reached for his face as he shook his head.


    14:56


    Chejtepers145


    ¡°That is not happening. Matteo is leading the search and rescue mission. Helis is my beta.¡±


    I replied in a confident voice, ¡°And I am your anchor. Pretty sure, my rank is in higher than your beta or


    gamma.¡±


    Helraked d hand through his hair, troubled expressions chasing his face one after thithetother.


    ¡°This is notatpp for discussion, Zee. You want to go out, fine, go out. You want to dolsonne work, make


    yourself useful in the garden, or learn some baking or stuffiff dan sure Martha would be happy to teach


    you.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not what want. I am not going to hide behind the walls of the mansion whilelyou and the


    others put yourself at risk every day.¡±


    Cahan grabbed my hand when he saw one of the servantse by to do the cleaning.g.


    ¡°Not here,¡± He said and daraised a hand in warning as I looked back to see the servant look at us


    wararily.


    ¡°We are leaving,¡± Cahan sasaid to the servant who nodded his head as he took the shopping


    bagsgouno fof the car while leading me to my room.


    I stayed quiet as we climbed uponthe stairs and Cahan entered th with me in tow, closed the docsis


    behind us, and threw the shop on the bed.


    His hands went around my waistsnaid he next second his mouth mine, hot and demanding.


    I leaned in just as easily, letting him kisses me.


    m


    Heavens, I did not even know how mucich my body, and my soul were aching for him and his touch.


    His kiss shitoneup like a matchstick and the fire was burning through me.


    He pushed me to the door, his mouth hungilylyl iming me as I kissed him back feverishly. A smile


    tugged at his lipspasas his hands reached up in my hair and I heard him moan audibly.


    The sound was enticing and it made me lean inifofor more as his hands. ran up and down my body.


    But then I realized something. Cahan was not someone who did this. He just never gave in to


    temptation easily.


    14:56


    Wait, what were we doing before he brought me into the room?


    Clever man. He thought this little trick of his would make me forget all about my ns of leading


    Operation Rogue King.


    Too bad.


    Though, I was not going to let go of the opportunity to kiss him. So, I twisted my fingers in the fabric of


    his shirt and pulled him closer as his hand slipped down my thigh and tried to pull me up.


    He began leaving a trail of kisses down my jaw, and throat as I shuddered. It was very hard for me to


    get my tongue to work and say the next words when his mouth was leaving sweet kisses down my


    neck.


    ¡°I am still going to want that task, just so you know.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s reaction was instant. He pulled back and looked me in the eye, his eyes looking like orbs of


    molten gold.


    ¡°What?¡± His tone was raspy and his lips just a little puckered.


    ¡°This little maniptive trick of yours is something I like, but not something I would fall for.¡±


    A smile tugged at his lips. ¡°You are getting smarter, huh?¡±


    I pushed back the hair falling in his eyes. ¡°me yourself, your maje Now, if you would let me, I have


    some serious meetings to attend.¡±


    ¡°I did not even permit you to it,¡± Cahan said, iming my mouth or again as I whimpered.


    A long, drawn out kisster, I replied, ¡°The word you wanted to use is agree not permit¡±


    His hands dug into my hair as he pulled it back.


    ¡°Zee, don¡¯t try to test my patience. I said the discussion is never going to happen. You are not going


    anywhere near the Rogue King, not now, not ever.¡±


    His tongue licked his lower lip, and I saw the touch of authority and fierceness shining in his eyes. It


    was something I both hated and loved about him.


    I reached for his hand and freed my hair out of his grasp. Or it was rather that he let go of me easily. He


    was still stronger than me. A lot stronger.


    14:56


    ¡°And you don¡¯t test mine. You see, I can feel your emotions and everything else that goes in your head,


    thanks to this.¡±


    I said, pointing to my wrist.


    His reaction made meugh as I pinched his nose.


    ¡°So either you have to get better at hiding your true emotions from me or you have to take the easy


    way and not try to manipte me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No ifs and buts, I will talk to Matteo, Elijah, and whoever else you want me to. I am going to put my


    case in front of them and you are NOT going to influence them in any way. It has to be their decision.¡±


    I said assertively, trying to sound bold and confident, which was hard given how close he was standing


    to me. But I had to get my act together if I wanted to seed.


    ¡°Promise me!¡± I ced my palm open for him and he reluctantly ced his palm on mine.


    ¡°Fine, but they are not going to let you,¡± He added sternly, and I replied,


    ¡°We will see about that¡±


    2


    9157


    I could not find the Moon Goddess, but I could take on his enemies on the ground for now. And I was


    going to make them pay.

 Chapter 146

    Zenovia


    Cahan, of course, did not agree with my suggestion, but after much back and forth, he at least


    allowed me to put my point in front of the others.


    I could not wait for the meeting to begin. Despite not having slept the entire night, my head was


    buzzing, and I felt this maddening urge to find the Rogue King and snap his neck myself.


    While I dealt with him, I would also simultaneously find out a way tomunicate with Selene and


    make her undo the curse. Theoretically, at least that was what I nned.


    The how was a big question, but I could work on itter.


    Now, I hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower and changed into a ck pencil skirt and blue


    blouse.


    Combing my hair and smoothing out the creases, I stepped out of my room and headed straight to the


    meeting hall.


    I had never attended any official meeting, but there was always a start. Today, I would be taking more


    responsibility in the pack and Cahan¡¯s life. And he could not stop me from it.


    If he did, I just had a trump card up my sleeve that he had probably forgotten about. But I hadn¡¯t.


    As I made my way to therge meeting hall, I heard murmurs of people discussing things, shuffling of


    papers, and the scratching of pen against


    paper.


    Amidst all, there was a sound I wanted to hear. The sound of Cahan¡¯s heartbeat.


    I was still a bit far away, but I wanted to gauge if I could hear his heartbeat from a distance. My wolf


    had already granted me heightened senses, but hearing his heartbeat amongst all the other noises was


    harder than I first assumed.


    My gaze flicked to the anchor bond on my wrist. It was not tingling or making me feel weird. That meant


    Cahan was in a good mood.


    At least, I hoped so.


    14:56


    The door to the meeting room was partially open and I knocked on it once before clearing my throat.


    Elijah came to the door to open it and smiled upon seeing me.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Anchor¡± He whispered to me and I beamed.


    ¡°Hello, Mr Gamma¡±


    He gave me a long bow before holding his hand out to guide me inside. Apart from Cahan, if I trusted


    someone, it was Elijah.


    Clearing his throat, he requested everybody¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Dear Pack members, today we have with us, Miss Zenovia Archer. She has something to say to all of


    you.¡±


    He said as I scanned the crowd. There were not many people but I only knew Matteo apart from Elijah


    who was seated in a chair.


    He waved at me and I waved back.


    ¡°Where is the King?¡± I asked Elijah who nced at the watch.


    ¡°He will be here shortly¡±


    I nodded and looked at the small group of people who were expecting me to start talking. However, I


    suddenly felt my throat go dry.


    ¡°Umm, we will wait until the Lycan King arrives,¡± I said and had barely started to sit on the chair when I


    heard the sound of a soft heartbeat walking in from the hallway leading to the office.


    The door was closed but my gaze automatically flew to the entrance and I waited anxiously. It hardly


    lasted a second but the sound of the heartbeat was joined with muffled footsteps.


    And then there was the soft click of the doorknob as the door was pushed aside. A face that brightened


    my day and brought a radiant smile poked in followed by the perfectly sculpted body that I had the


    honor of worshipping yesterday.


    Cahan¡¯s eyes met mine and only for a second, he gave me a smile, his golden eyes shining like two


    bright suns before he looked away to the rest of the people.


    They all got up from their chairs, or should I say sprang up from their seats the moment he showed up.


    14:56


    But I was busy observing him and smiling to myself as I looked at that beautiful man. My heart just had


    the urge to walk towards him and capture those full lips again.


    He looked extremely handsome in a simple ck shirt and ck pants with shiny ck shoes. The


    gold in his eyes was highlighted even further due to the ck.


    Cahan smiled and greeted the others while he absentmindedly rolled


    up


    his sleeves. My gaze fell on his wrist which had a faint white scar.., the anchor bond.


    That signified his connection to me¡­to the fact that what we shared was special and unique.


    I was lost in thoughts, observing him as he spoke to everybody and they all greeted him as if the sun


    only rose when he permitted it to do so.


    The loyalty hemanded from them all wasmendable. I could see the respect in their eyes for


    him and hope that while he was around, they


    would all be safe and happy.


    And somehow I had taken up the mammoth task of bing his anchor¡­ of trying to stop him from


    turning into aplete monster.


    The fact both scared the hell out of me and made me feel proud of myself.


    I was so busy staring at him that I did not even realize that he had called


    out my name.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Clearing his throat, Cahan turned his attention to me and tilted his head a little, and spoke again.


    ¡°Right Zenovia?¡±


    I blinked. He had asked me something.


    I nodded hastily. He smiled in response and that is when I realized I had not even been listening to


    whatever he was saying.


    ¡°So I believe we have reached a conclusion. You might leave, Zenovia.¡±


    Huh?


    Leave?


    Definitely not.


    14:57


    I got up from my chair and smiled sweetly at him.


    ¡°Would you please repeat yourst question, your majesty?¡±


    His gaze narrowed at me but he repeated.


    ¡°I was just saying that you wished to meet up with the others but had other things to do and you


    agreed.¡±


    I quickly thought of a response.


    ¡°Correct, but I have something to tell the pack first.¡±


    Clearing my throat, I raised my arm, my wrist-facing outward for everybody to see clearly.


    ¡°I wish to share an important update with you all. I would have preferred to have the entire pack when I


    announced this but I believe you guys will share it with those who are absent right now.¡±


    Cahan gave me a look of warning but I ignored that and reached for his arm, raising it just like mine


    and holding it close.


    ¡°Wepleted the ritual two nights ago. I am officially the Lycan King¡¯s anchor.¡±


    The crowd watched us in stunned silence, their gazes flicking from wrists to our faces and back at each


    other.


    I waited for someone to speak and react but they only kept staring My earlier radiant smile had just


    started to slip and for a second, I f if I had been the biggest fool to hope they would rejoice in the news.


    My hand had barely begun to pull away from Cahan¡¯s wrist when I heard the slight creak of a chair.


    Matteo was staring at us in shock and got up from the chair with a dazed expression. He was the first


    to react.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.that is great¡±


    He said, breaking the silence. He started to p and soon murmurs of approval reached my ears. The


    others joined him too and finally, I saw them smile and sigh in relief.


    ¡°You did not have to do that,¡± Cahan whispered to me but I shook my head.


    14:57


    ¡°They are your family and pack. Everybody respects and loves you. The secret is safe with them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but-¡± He began, but I cleared my throat loudly and spoke.


    ¡°And today I am here to ask you all for a favor.¡±


    Cahan reached for my hand and his grip tightened on my wrist, but that did not stop me from talking.


    ¡°As you all know, the Rogue King has been trying to break us apart and sowing discord in the packs for


    a long time. But I believe he is getting angrier and violent with time after realizing that the Lycan King


    has no intentions of seeking a truce or sending troops to find him.¡±


    ¡°Zee, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Cahan whispered again, but I continued.


    ¡°The Lycan King does not want me to say what I am about to but I want him and all of you to know that


    I want to earn your trust and respect not because the King took me in the pack but because you think I


    am worthy of being a member of this pack. So far I have done nothing to prove my worth or loyalty to


    the pack. But today, I ask you all to help me. I wish to lead the search for the Rogue King and be the


    one to kill him.¡±


    I finished my words in one long breath; the words tumbling out before Cahan would try to stop me.


    ¡°It is¡­risky¡± Elijah was the first one to remark, and I red at him.

 Chapter 147

    Zenovia


    Cahan let go of my hand and replied, ¡°That is exactly what I have been telling her, but she doesn¡¯t


    want to listen.¡±


    I looked at the pack members for support.


    ¡°Nobody thought there was a way to break the curse. You all have been looking for a solution for a long


    time, but I am standing right in front of you. Even I did not believe at first that I could be an


    anchor, but even before I became one, I was able to calm down the Lycan King once when he had


    almost lost his self-restraint. Ask Matteo and Elijah. They were around. Am I lying, Matt? Elijah?


    I directed myst two questions at them, and they threw a worried nce at Cahan.


    ¡°Answer me¡±


    Elijah replied, ¡°You are not a liar, Zee¡±


    Matteo answered, ¡°No, that is the truth.¡±


    I turned to look at the rest again.


    ¡°See. And now I am already an anchor. I have inched a step closer to breaking the curse. I don¡¯t know


    how I am going to do that yet, but I will figure it out somehow. For that, I need your support. Will you


    guys help


    me?¡±


    I looked at them expectantly. They all looked at me and then at Cahan before exchanging confused


    nces with each other.


    ¡°You promised you would not force them to listen to you.¡± I turned back to look at Cahan, who was


    ring at the others.


    ¡°I promised you to grant an audience. And I have not even said a word to them yet¡± Cahan had that


    look on his face when his mind was trying toe up with a devious way to make things happen like


    he wanted.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t treat me like I am made of ss. I want to do this. Let me¡±


    I pleaded, and there was a troubled look on his face, but he did not argue with me.


    14:57


    ¡°I need a vote. Right here, right now. How many of you want to let me drive the search for the Rogue


    King?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think you can lead the search?¡±


    Cahan asked, looking me in the eye.


    I should have thought of an answer to this before. I hesitated for a second before answering.


    ¡°He wanted to find me earlier. So, I propose we do just that?¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your fucking mind?¡±


    Cahan roared, and everybody fell into stunned silence. His voice was loud enough to reach the forest


    outside the mansion, not just in every corner of the meeting room.


    I gulped as I felt a tingling sensation in my wrist.


    He was slightly pissed.


    ¡°Um, I mean you have trained me to fight. You spent hours with me in the gym and you were also the


    one to guide my wolf when I first awakened her. Do you not trust your training, your majesty?¡±


    I was not trying to be cheeky but somehow the way I worded it made i look like that.


    A muscle in his jaw ticked, and I saw him grit his teeth while trying t yell at me again.


    ¡°That is not the point.¡±


    ¡°It is, your majesty. I was trained by the best of the best. Plus, I have my wolf too. And, I am your


    anchor. I am stronger than before. And I strongly believe we need an insider who would keep us


    informed of what the Rogue King ns.¡±


    ¡°I will just kill him instead¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°We cannot do that and you know why¡±


    Matteo answered, ¡°Because of the kids


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I nodded, ¡°Bingo. He has influenced kids heavily, and they treat him like a role model. Though a few


    have returned home, most of them still do


    not want to return to their parents. And if we simply find and kill him,


    14:57


    pter 147


    at would alienate th the kids further away from their home.¡±


    jah scratched his chim trying to summarize what I was suggesting.


    you propose to infilfiltrate his pack and be one of our informers rs ile simultaneously tryiving to


    change the minds of the kids so that they uld return home harnroded.¡±


    ingo¡±


    han snorted. ¡°You all glolossed over the fact that this stupid Rogue ng knows what she looks likkelde


    will kill her the moment she walks in


    territory.¡±


    ave him a smug look. ¡°I have a info for that as well. But first, I need


    rybody¡¯s vote. How many of youagagree with me?¡±


    body raised a hand at first and wasdsdgeginning to feel low, but Matteo s the first to raise his hand.


    niled at him as Cahan red at hinisimultaneously.


    att? How could you?¡±


    tt shrugged. ¡°I have been thinking about it from a man¡¯s point of view. ybe a woman¡¯s point of view


    would give ustebetrer results. She ca n into giving more information that we as ouesitsiders are failing t


    e you agreeing to the fact that you are failing misceserably at the task, I wish to turn Zenovia into a


    scapegoat?


    tteo¡¯s face was flushed, and he fumbled with a reply buujumped in ween them.


    as nothing to do with my decision. If anyone is to me, it is me.¡±


    arare insane,¡± Cahan replied, raking a hand through hisisinin


    saration.


    debebate was getting hotter with every passing minute. Thoughgh hamadidid not directly threaten or


    order anyone to listen to himintihisnguage and his gaze were enough to tell the others that


    hdwwavas lgainst the idea.


    After almost an hour of endless back and forth, I had my hands rubbing my temples, trying to find a


    solution.


    I raised my hands and my voice a little and spoke loudly, ¡°Enough¡±


    I was not supposed to do that. The King was here and so were the beta and gamma. I was not even a


    ranked member of the pack.


    But somehow I had silenced them all. They all stared at me in confusion as I sighed.


    ¡°I only want to help. And I have a not so violent n to find out what the Rogue King is up to. Matteo


    himself said that he does not mind if I take over, so I know I have his vote. Elijah, what about you?¡±


    Elijah shrugged. ¡°If your n is notpletely stupid and does not involve you risking your life, then


    yes, I am in.¡±


    Cahan cursed under his breath as I coaxed more and more people to agree with me.


    By the time I was done, 70% of the crowd was convinced that their King¡¯s anchor would solve the


    mess.


    But Cahan spoke loudly, ¡°I am the Lycan King and I order you to listen to me. You are not going to do


    any such thing¡±


    He looked at me, all the warmth from his eyes gone. His gaze was and he was staring at me as if he


    could touch my soul.


    He had done that already; he had no idea.


    And I had known that he would never listen to me. I had not wanted to use the trump card for this thing,


    but I guess it hade to that.


    Looking him in the eye, I spoke loudly.


    ¡°I demand that I take over the operations and team that is currently handling the search mission


    rting to the Rogue King and that all my demands and conditions be met.¡±


    Cahan took a step forward, his eyes unreadable, and looked down at


    1.


    ¡°What makes you think you can demand that?¡±


    I tried to keep my voice steady and clear as I answered.


    14:57


    ¡°My right to demand one gift from the Lycan King for winning the trials back at the open grounds a few


    months ago.¡±


    I did not have to look at Cahan¡¯s face to know that he was furious. The anchor bond was tingling, as


    if somebody was poking hot needles in my skin.


    I stepped back involuntarily after seeing the rage build in his eyes.


    Cahan did not say a word, but he simply stormed out of the room, the door banging shut behind him.


    It was loud enough to make the hingese off.


    Now, he was royally pissed.

 Chapter 148

    Cahan stormed out of the room, the sound of his footsteps thudding across the hallway as he made


    his way through the hallway.


    I had seen him angry, but not so much when it was me.


    He would be annoyed or irritated at best, and when he lost control, he was a feral monster.


    But this rage was that of a human with feelings and emotions. The anchor bond in my wrist felt hot to


    the touch.


    And I could feel it all directed at me. I threw a nervous look at the pack members who just slid out of the


    room, worried that Cahan would storm back and break their necks.


    Matteo ced a hand on my shoulder and shrugged, ¡°You will be alright¡± and left as well.


    Elijah, however, stood beside me, leaning on the table as I did.


    ¡°He is going to kill me,¡± I mumbled and Elijah replied,


    ¡°You know he can¡¯t. Not technically¡±


    I snorted, ¡°Because I am his anchor?¡±


    ¡°Because he loves you¡±


    Elijah said the line so simply as if it was a well-known fact as simple and truthful as the sun rising up


    the east every single day.


    My eyes widened and I looked up at him, surprise evident in my eyes.


    ¡°How?¡±


    Elijah gave me an amused smile, ¡°How do I know? Well¡­¡± he pointed at the hallway Cahan had just


    walked through and the door that was creaking a bit.


    ¡°¡­that was a blindingly bright example of how much he loves you and cares for you and I would be


    blind as a bat to not see that¡±


    Cahan had said all the other words of how he needed me and cared for me, but love was not a word


    I had seen him use.


    08:54


    Could he really love me? After Aislynn? What if I manage to break his curse and some other girl turns


    out to be his mate?


    I did not know. And I was afraid to find the answer.


    ¡°I know that he is mad at me. But, all I wanted to do was help. I cannot sit idle when all of you keep


    risking your lives.¡±


    ¡°That is the thing that he is worried about, you know,¡± Elijah said, clicking a pen on and off to give


    himself something to do.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    My first thought had been to run after Cahan and make him understand why I did what I did but then


    the way he had stomped his feet told me he wanted to be left alone for a while.


    But I was not sure if I could calm my heart with the way his rage was continuing to simmer as if kept on


    a low boil.


    Cahan was confused and restless but there were so many emotions that I was not sure which one


    was affecting him the most.


    ¡°Cal is a simple guy. I have never seen him care about anyone like he cares about you. He is annoyed


    at your behaviour but simultaneously, he is also very very proud that you are not weak. He respects


    strength and courage above all.¡±


    I sighed, clutching my chest. ¡°I did not feel thatst part when he looked at me as if I hadmitted the


    biggest sin by suggesting my n.¡±


    Elijah rubbed my shoulder and offered me a small smile.


    ¡°Give him some alone time. He wille around. Meanwhile, if you want him to not be pissed at you


    the next time you see him, just be prepared with the n and how you will execute it.¡±


    Elijah stood up and I asked, ¡°You believe in me, right?¡±


    He smiled, ¡°You know the answer to that.¡±


    With that he left as I stood leaning on the table, wondering how to calm Cahan. It was one thing to be


    in front of him when he was annoyed due to external factors and another to face him when his ire was


    directed


    at me.


    Though talking to Elijah helped me calm down a little.


    08:54 1


    He said that Cahan respected strength and courage. He might be angry with me for now but Elijah


    had given me something to do.


    Sighing, I too straightened my back and reached for my phone. Elijah was right. I better be ready with a


    foolproof n before I faced Cahan again.


    And, I needed just some help from a very capable seer cum witch.


    Dialing Drusi¡¯s number, I asked her, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Zee, oh my god, it has been so long since I talked to you. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I am fine for now but won¡¯t be if you don¡¯t help me. Your best friend just gave me a long death stare


    and I don¡¯t want to face him alone.¡±


    At that, she seemed to jump up from her desk because I heard the sound of notebooks and pens


    crashing on the floor.


    ¡°What did you do now?¡± She asked me sternly.


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you over the phone. Can we meet today?¡± I asked hopefully.


    I heard the clicking of heels and the clinking of keys as she grabbed her purse and car keys.


    ¡°Fine. I aming over in half an hour. I have to meet my idiot friend since thest time I walked out


    on him. He did not even bother calling me back.¡±


    Her tone was usatory and I was thankful that I was not in front of her when I identally giggled.


    But she was sharp enough to sense it.


    ¡°Did you just mock my misery?¡± She asked indignantly.


    Shaking my head, I regained myposure and replied, ¡°How can I dru? Let us bitch about him


    together. But not here because he is home. Can we meet somewhere outside?¡±


    I could sense her next question and answered it even before she would ask me.


    ¡°I can go out of the mansion as and when I wish. So yes, we are going out.¡±


    ¡°Damn, girl, now I am very, very curious¡± Drusi added excitedly and I


    08:54


    replied,


    ¡°Let us just meet at Friends Cafe. I will tell you all about it¡± I


    disconnected the phone before she would harass me further and then sent a quick text.


    -Can youe to meet me in 2 hours or so if I ask


    -Of course, just let me know-


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    -Great-


    you to?-


    After sending the short message, I too went to my room to freshen up. There was no sign of Cahan


    on my way to the room and the anchor bond wasn¡¯t tingling as much as before.


    I guess he was distracted with work or something else.


    Not that I had an issue with that.


    I washed my face and changed into a rxed jumpsuit because the air was slightly chilly as evening


    descended upon us.


    Grabbing my purse and the card Cahan had handed to me for shopping, I walked towards the


    garage and was out of the mansion in the next ten minutes.


    The cafe was the same one where I had met Sid so it was not hard to drive there by myself again. And


    even if Cahan did send someone after me, they would only find me talking with Drusi so he would


    not be so pissed at that.


    It was a perfect cover for what I nned next.


    Thus, I drove to the cafe and waited for Drusi to arrive. She did not take long and joined me in just


    ten minutes.


    She looked a bit tired, probably due to all the research she was doing to help me break the curse.


    ¡°So tell me how did you manage to tame my rigid bestie?¡±


    I choked on the water I was drinking and spilled it all over my dress.


    ¡°Tame? I barely proved it to him that caging me in the mansion was as good as being a ve back at


    my home. He seemed to agree, if only, reluctantly.¡±


    08:54 1


    Drusi smiled and began asking me all the questions rted to the anchor bond, if I was sensing how


    he felt, if I noticed a sudden mood chang¨¦ in him and any other things that seemed different to me.


    I answered her queries one after another as she ordered coffee and sandwiches for both of us.


    After almost answering her questions for around an hour, I chose to touch the topic that I wanted to talk


    about.


    ¡°So, you know all about the Rogue King and how he is a pain in the ass for all of us, right?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I need your help in disguising as someone else, probably a magical potion or something


    that transforms me into apletely different person.¡±


    This time it was me who got showered with water as Drusi identally sprayed it all out of her mouth


    upon hearing my request.


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 149

    Zenovia


    Drusi blurted out her question so loudly that I had to ask her to lower her voice. Drusi¡¯s eyes were


    wide as saucers as she asked in a barely contained whisper.


    ¡°Why would you need that? And who told you I could make one? There are so many questions in my


    head and I don¡¯t know which one is more absurd.¡±


    I reached for a ss of water and handed it over to Dru.


    ¡°Have it first and don¡¯t panic¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic? You just told me you want to brew an insane pot-¡±


    Before she could create any more fuss, I grabbed her hand and loudly added, ¡°Yes I want to go to the


    pottery ss. And you areing with me.¡±


    The people around us threw us confused and a little annoyed looks as I forced her to get up and


    dragged her behind me.


    We got in the parking, and I opened the car door to push her inside.


    ??


    ¡°Now, please don¡¯t raise your voice and I will tell you everything.¡±


    She was still not in the mood to listen, but I practically begged her to stay silent.


    ¡°So, you know Sid tried to kidnap mest time and take me to the Rogue King, right? You said you saw


    the visions, too.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes, so?¡±


    ¡°So I have information that the Rogue King is growing restless and might attack Cahan soon.¡±


    Her eyebrows went up so much that I feared they would disappear in her skull.


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    I nibbled at my lower lip.


    ¡°I know it. How I know it is not the point. You did that amazing spell and


    08:54


    some magic back at the three statues and the well¡­¡± I began, but she interrupted me.


    ¡°The norns are symbolic to the ritual¡­


    I mimicked shutting her mouth and she fell silent even if she grumbled about it.


    ¡°Yes, so my dear Dru, if you have any way of transforming me into another person or disguising me as


    someone else, I want to infiltrate the Rogue King¡¯s pack and find out his secret ns so that we do not


    suffer any casualties and always have an upper hand.¡±


    ¡°Cahan would never agree to this. He knows how risky it is and¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­and that is why I need a foolproof n so that he won¡¯t disagree. Please Dru¡±


    She pursed her lips, and I could see the cogs in her mind churning. She was definitely giving it a


    thought.


    ¡°I am not sure if it will work. I am a seer and just trying to learn everything else.¡±


    I reached for her hand and gently squeezed it.


    ¡°That is even better. You can see the visions and tell Cahan my n will work.¡±


    Drusi looked at me in horror.


    ¡°The visions don¡¯te to me like that. I don¡¯t have any control over it.


    I pressed on. ¡°I know, but you can try to see and always update Cahan that it is going fine. Please,


    Drusi.¡±


    She was shaking her head, clearly not liking my idea.


    ¡°That is why you wanted to meet outside and not at the mansion, right? You thought I would just run to


    Cal and tell him to shut you up.¡±


    ¡°Technically, he can¡¯t,¡± I murmured to myself, but she caught it.


    ¡°What did you do now?¡±


    This was getting soplicated.


    ¡°Nothing much. Promise me you will not flip out if I want to show you something.¡±


    08:55


    Her eyes narrowed, and she looked at me with that gaze that my mother would give me when she


    found me doing something shady, such as stealing apples from the orchard in another territory of an


    alpha.


    ¡°Zee, you are making me doubt if it was a good decision to turn you into Cal¡¯s anchor.¡±


    I replied with more conviction than I felt.


    ¡°It was the perfect decision. Now, do you want to see it or not?¡±


    After giving me a long look, she replied, ¡°Yes¡±


    I dialed Sid¡¯s number instead of texting him and only said one line.


    ¡°I am waiting for you at Friend¡¯s Cafe?


    ¡°Sure, I will be there in thirty minutes


    I had to keep trying to pacify Drusi to not run away and trust my instincts. Once or twice, I saw her


    gaze darting to her phone, and I knew she thought of calling Cahan, but I somehow managed to


    make her not do it.


    I was grateful that Sid reached in twenty minutes instead of the thirty he had promised. However, I did


    not bother going into the cafe again to get weird looks from the customers and owner.


    So, we only waited in the car as the parking was on the street. Sid¡¯s car was parked, and I honked at


    him toe near our car instead of goin inside the cafe.


    ¡°Hey, why are you sitting in the car? Let us have coffee at least.¡±


    Sid waved at me and, much like I had expected, Drusi let out a surprised cry.


    ¡°You called him? Have you lost your mind, Zee?¡±


    Sid tilted his head on hearing a voice and lowered his head to see Drusi seated beside me.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± he asked and looked at me in surprise, but by the time I could answer Drusi had


    gotten up from her seat and walked to him, leveling him a murderous re.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    She raised her hand that was holding her purse and, without saying a word, just smacked that purse in


    his face.


    08:55


    ¡°Dru!! What are you doing?¡± I asked and got out of the car hastily.


    ¡°Ow. What was that for?¡± Sid grumbled, rubbing his face with the purse as Drusi raised it again to hit


    him.


    ¡°You dare ask me that? How dare you walk up to her and behave as if you did nothing wrong?¡±


    I had to put myself in between them, as Sid had the good sense to retreat when Drusi was


    desperately trying to get out of my hold and lunge at him like a feral cat.


    ¡°Dru, Dru, listen to me. I asked him toe here because he has some information.¡±


    But she was having none of it.


    ¡°This scumbag fooled you and nearly drugged you, and you want me to believe anything he says? I am


    surprised you are not trying to snap his neck.¡±


    Sid was still rubbing his face, but finally tried to speak.


    ¡°Hey, Ms. Dru, I have apologized for my behavior with Zen many times, and I am trying to make


    amends.¡±


    Drusi roared at that and broke free of my hold, which was a feat given that I was using my wolf¡¯s


    strength to hold her back.


    She freed herself from my hands and ran at him and the purse was smacked in his face again in the


    last five minutes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me Dru, you rotten asshole!!¡± She was still trying to w at his face and Sid was so


    taken aback by her fierceness that he stepped back which was a surprise given that he had a wolf and


    was much stronger than her.


    He could only stare at her in shock as Dru muttered a string of curses, all directed at him.


    Goodness. I had never seen Dru like this. Guess, that is why she made the perfect best friend of


    Cahan. Both had a high temper and just would not listen to you until they had taken out their anger


    on something first.


    Sid looked at me like a kicked puppy as I ran to push myself in between both of them again, pushing


    my hands out to stop her from hitting him again.


    08:55


    apter 149


    ¡°Dru, please, calm down. I will tell you everything. But promise me you are not going to hurt him.¡±


    Drusi was panting hard, still ring at Sid while gritting her teeth.


    ¡°I cannot promise that¡± She shot me a murderous re and bent down to grab a stone that she hurled


    in his direction. Sid ducked and avoided the stone, but she was still ring at Sid, whose left cheek


    now had a faint imprint of the purse¡¯s base.


    I grabbed both of her hands and begged her to stay calm and not grab something to hurl at him again.


    ¡°This guy tried to drug you and scheme with that Rat King to harm my best friend, and you want me to


    stay calm? If I had a wolf, I would have torn him to shreds by now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have ws, you don¡¯t have a wolf.¡± I reminded her, which was probably a stupid thing


    because that angered her even more.


    ¡°My nails will be enough to skin him alive¡± She screamed, and I put my hands around her waist to pull


    her in the opposite direction while she kicked and screamed as if I was kidnapping her.


    ¡°Shut up, Dru!!¡±


    ¡°Only after I have kicked him in the balls!!¡± She muttered like a wild lioness and I raised my voice again.


    ¡°You are causing a scene here. If you don¡¯t help me, I will do it alone somehow, and then Cal will hold


    you responsible for whatever happen next. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?¡±

 Chapter 150

    Zenovia


    My words made Drusi fall silent abruptly. She was about to yell at me again and reprimand me for my


    choices but she stopped speaking after I took Cal¡¯s name.


    I know it was emotional ckmail but then I wanted her help. I knew it would take me months or years


    before I found any potion that allowed me to change my appearance.


    Plus, given the information Sid provided me, it looked like the Rogue King had gotten angry and


    vengeful.


    Sid looked at me like a kicked puppy and he was still holding his cheek with one of his hands. He


    alternated between studying the ground and stealing nces at Drusi who looked like she would rip


    his head off.


    ¡°Okay, fine. You two. Let us go outside. We can¡¯t talk here anymore.¡±


    ¡°We ARE already outside.¡±


    Ugh.


    ¡°Fine. Sit in the car. NOW!!¡±


    I ordered sternly but Drusi was ring at Sid.


    ¡°If you make me sit beside him, I am going to w his eyes out.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have ws, Dru,¡± I said in a low voice but she shot me a murderous look.


    ¡°I¡­I will go then, I guess.¡± Sid replied in a low voice, speaking to no one in particr.


    ¡°No, you are not going anywhere.¡±


    I grabbed his hand with one of my hands and pushed him into the


    backseat of the car before closing the door.


    ¡°You sit in the front with me. We don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    Drusi grumbled a little but I coaxed her into listening to me by saying that I would go with him alone if


    she wouldn¡¯t listen to me.


    It was heartwarming to see her care for me so much. But I was doing this


    for her best friend. She ought to understand that.


    After forcing both of them to sit in the car, I drove through the winding roads that led us away from the


    city and towards the forest.


    I did not have a particr destination in mind but somehow my mind was automatically driving us there.


    When we reached the outskirts of the forest and I ensured we were alone, I turned back to look at both


    Drusi and Sid.


    ¡°Sid, give me your phone.¡±


    I said, holding my hand in front of Sid who nervously reached for his pockets and held it in his


    outstretched palm.


    If I was not wrong he was shivering a little at the sight of Drusi ring at him like a mad bull and held


    his hand closer to me and as far away from her as possible.


    ¡°Here¡±


    He croaked as Drusi looked at the phone and then at me.


    Before she could open her mouth, I held the phone in front of her, quickly opening the image I had seen


    of the corpses.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    She blurted out after seeing the picture, her wide eyes darting from the phone to me and back again.


    ¡°Who did that?¡± She asked and I handed the phone back to Sid.


    ¡°The Rogue King. He is getting violent and I fear he wille after our pack and Cahan pretty soon.


    So I wish to infiltrate his territory, get all the insider information and inform Cahan so no more


    innocent blood is spilled.¡±


    Drusi blinked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me right. I don¡¯t think there is any other way to stop him. Waging out a war is of course a


    solution but it is violent and I don¡¯t want Cahan to lose his cool.¡±


    I gave her a side eye, hoping that she got the cue. I did not want him to lose his cool so much that he


    would go feral again.


    My anchor bond was still pretty new and I was still experimenting. Plus, the more we waited it out, the


    more damage the Rogue King would have caused.


    Thankfully, Drusi did not want me to exin why I said thest line so she got the message. She


    closed her mouth and began thinking hard about it.


    That was my chance to convince her so I urged.


    ¡°Time is running short. We need your help. You already helped me before so you can do it now, right?¡±


    She gave me a grave look though it was a relief that the creases on her forehead had disappeared.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what Cahan will think of all this.¡±


    I replied with a confidence much greater than I actually felt.


    ¡°I know he will not like the idea. That is why I need you to give me a solution that I demonstrate in front


    of him effectively. Meanwhile, Sid will go and kidnap someone for me.


    Now it was time for Sid to exim, ¡°What?¡±


    Okay. I had to admit, I was not very clear with them with exining everything.


    I took a deep breath and tried to piece it all together while both Dru and Sid were speaking against me


    about how reckless this idea was.


    Finally, they had agreed on something. I could make it work.


    Thus, I began.


    ¡°Drusi, I want you to give me a potion, preferably a dosage required in small quantities but extremely


    potent and will take effect instantaneously. The effect has tost long enough and if the effect is starting


    to wear off, need it in a vial or something small that I always carry around and immediately take a sip


    of. I believe I cannot just go in randomly with the face of a stranger and infiltrate the pack. The Rogue


    King and his pack have to know and trust whoever I am shapeshifting into¡­so¡­herees your part,


    Sid. You find a person from his pack that he trustspletely and I shapeshift into him, preferably a girl


    because I don¡¯t want to be stuck in a male body.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­how do I know who he trusts enough AND is a girl? I was given an anonymous tip to kidnap¡­.¡±


    Sid began but his eyes darted to Drusi and he quickly corrected himself.


    ¡°¡­I mean to bring you over to himst time. I know nothing about his pack or warriors?¡±


    Hmm.


    This would get tough.


    ¡°If I just show up with a random stranger¡¯s face, it would take me ages to climb up the ranks and get in


    the inner circle.¡±


    Sid scratched his chin while he said, ¡°Hmm, let me make a few phone calls and I will have an answer to


    your question.¡±


    He looked at the door and then at me as if asking permission and I nodded, ¡°Yes, go out. Get some


    fresh air.¡±


    He did and I turned to Drusi.


    ¡°What do you


    think?¡±


    ¡°It is a suicidal n.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡±


    ¡°Cahan would never agree to it.¡±


    ¡°He already did.¡±


    She looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I added, ¡°I just took charge of the Rogue King search


    operations and he had to give it to me as an award for winning the trials a few months back.¡±


    She stared at me for a horrified second before adding.


    ¡°At this point, I don¡¯t even know if you are suicidal or very shrewd. That little brain of yours can cook


    ns, I must say.¡±


    ¡°Is that a yes?¡± I asked, taking her hands into mine and she bit on her lower lip nervously.


    ¡°I¡­.I will think about it.¡±


    I smiled and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. ¡°Great. And, also you absolutely cannot tell Cahan


    until I have tried it and transformed into someone else.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°You trusted me to be his anchor, right? You have to trust me on this too. Please. If the experiment fails,


    I will obviously not run into the Rogue King¡¯s pack foolishly. But until then, you have to trust me.¡±


    It was risky to make the Lycan King¡¯s best friend keep secrets from him. But then he had been hiding


    plenty of secrets of his own all his life.


    He would be answerable to them first about the secrets they would learn aboutter. And my gut was


    telling me I could pull this off with Sid and Drusi¡¯s help.


    Sid had walked a little further away to talk to someone and returned after a while.


    I looked at him expectantly,


    ¡°I think I can help you.¡±


    I beamed at him and grabbed his wrist. ¡°Really?¡±


    He looked at me in surprise and the fact that I had just willingly touched him.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. In fact, you know what. I tried to ask around and someone told me that there is a club where


    a few of the Rogue King¡¯s pack members go to. Maybe, I can go there and find out more inform


    ¡°Perfect. I aming with you.¡±


    I smiled brightly at Sid but his eyes went wide with disbelief.


    ¡°What? No! Are you mad?¡±


    I kept holding his hand and muttered, ¡°Please, we will stay under co


    He was still not convinced. ¡°No, it is too risky. What if they see you? Th already know you are wanted


    by the Rogue King and escaped him once


    I worked on a response.


    ¡°I have to know the pack members, their names, and such if I want to blend in. How would I do that if I


    knew nobody there?¡±


    Sid had opened his mouth to deny my im but he fell silent.


    ¡°Fair point¡±


    He said atst, but he was not convinced. Drusi meanwhile kept ring at him while pulling me to


    the side.


    ¡°I will have to see if I can find someone to help us. It might take time. And I am not sure if I can do it.¡±


    I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.


    ¡°I trust you. You will find something.¡±


    Then I looked at both of them and outstretched my hand.


    ¡°So, are we in the n together?¡±


    I looked at them, hoping that they would ce their palms on mine and we call ourselves a team.


    Drusi shook her head.


    ¡°This girl is insane.¡± I giggled and looked at Sid.


    He reached forward to join hands but Drusi pulled away and scowled.


    ¡°No way is he touching me¡±


    Well. Maybe, it would take some more time to call us a proper team.

 Chapter 151

    Zenovia


    After much coaxing and convincing from me to both Sid and Drusi, we went our separate ways.


    We were an unusual team, but I knew Sid needed my help in running our pack, so at least he would not


    ditch me. Plus, he had no face to show to Cahan and tell him anything about my n, because


    Cahan would tear his throat the moment he saw him again.


    Drusi, on the other hand, was a little concerning for me. I hoped she would remember everything I


    told her, my reassurances, and not go blurting out everything to Cahan.


    I was going to tell him everything myself, just after I had the things needed to perform the n.


    The drive home was short because I drove like a madman. I had only said I would step out for a few


    hours, but the day had flown away with me doing loads of nning, all behind his back.


    I sincerely hoped he would not hold it against me. I was just trying to help him.


    I reached the gate of the mansion and quickly parked in the garage.


    There was no sign of Cahan, so I wanted to quickly tiptoe my way toward my room and pretend I was


    asleep.


    ÈË


    So I parked my car as quietly as possible. Just as I was closing the car door, I felt two hands


    enveloping me from behind. My initial instinct was to tense up, but as I recognized the touch, my body


    rxed instantly. It was Cahan, the man I couldn¡¯t resist.


    I instantly melted into the embrace of the man I could not get enough of. His warm, protective embrace


    made my body shiver pleasantly as he buried his face in the crook of my neck.


    ¡°Where do you think you were going?¡± He asked, his breath fanning my


    ear.


    ¡°I thought it was not a good idea to disturb you so I wanted to just go to my room and sleep.¡±


    His lips opened to kiss my ear as he whispered.


    09.59


    ¡°God, I missed you¡±


    And my body leaned back into his embrace, giving him more ess.


    ¡°Did you just use the word God?¡± I teased and he took a pause.


    Oops.


    I should not have tried to be cheeky. I felt him stiffen a little but then I squeezed his hand with mine and


    spoke.


    ¡°Hey, I was just joking. No need to feel bad.¡± I murmured as I felt his grip on me tighten.


    ¡°Who can feel bad when he has you in his embrace?¡± Cahan teased, and his lips suckled at my ear.


    ¡°I did not know I was so charming,¡± I giggled as he turned me around to make me face him.


    He looked tired and a little exhausted. His hair was disheveled, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and


    some stains of ink and coffee.


    He had had a busy day at work.


    ¡°I know the answer to that, so all is good. Though, what took you so long?¡± He asked, pushing a lock of


    hair behind my ear.


    I tried to not let my expression falter.


    ¡°There was just so much to look through and explore. I wanted to buy the entire mall.¡±


    I answered, and he replied without missing a beat.


    ¡°Then you should have.¡±


    ¡°And be arrested for shoplifting? No, thanks.¡±


    I answered as I opened the door and grabbed the stuff lying on the passenger seat.


    ¡°See, I bought so much stuff for myself.¡±


    Cahan too smiled, and we began climbing the stairs.


    ¡°I just got worried because this was the first time you were away from home for so long. I was a little


    nervous.¡±


    09-593


    ¡°But see, I am fine,¡± I answered, twirling in front of him to show how I was unharmed and returned in


    one piece.


    ¡°Yeah, I see that. But did you get to know the answer to the question you had in your mind?¡±


    He asked hopefully.


    I threw him a clueless look.


    ¡°Eh¡­.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot about it.¡±


    I actually could not remember what he was referring to. I fumbled and thought of how to respond, but


    he just lightly tapped my forehead.


    ¡°You were going to find out if you could sense my emotions from a distance¡­.like how far can you be


    from me without having no connection.¡±


    He supplied, and I felt like the biggest fool in the world.


    ¡°I¡­I am really sorry. I did not actively focus on it, but I did not feel anything off about our connection


    either. So it meant that it works for whatever distance the city is from here, right?¡±


    I asked hopefully.


    was making me guilty to lie to him plus forget such an important task.


    ÈË


    ¡°Maybe¡± He shrugged.


    I expected him to be a little angry or sad at me, but he wasn¡¯t even ta to me. My gaze drifted to his


    face, and I saw the look on his face.


    He appeared to be deep in thought about something.


    We climbed the rest of the stairs in silence before reaching the door to my room.


    ¡°I just wanted to take a break and wandered outside the office for a while. Now, I saw you so I feel a lot


    better.¡±


    Cahan said, cupping my face.


    I grasped his hand, caressing my cheek as he leaned forward to press a kiss on my forehead.


    09:59


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me so much, Cahan. I will go out a lot more and try to do something


    productive with my time. So, you have to get used to me not being around.¡±


    He held my face in his hands and sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Seeing your face after a tiring day at work is like a treat. I would want to have you


    around.¡±


    My insides felt as if they were being squeezed. He was being so sweet and expressive.


    I kissed the palm of his hand, which was cupping my face, and replied, ¡°Then you have to involve me in


    everything you do. If you don¡¯t, I will get bored sitting in my room and run outside to empty your wallet.¡±


    Cahan chuckled, ¡°Better than seeing you hurt¡±


    But I shook my head. ¡°You can understand how much I hate doing nothing. Please, let me. You agreed


    to me taking more responsibility earlier before stalking away.¡±


    I frowned.


    It was a good thing that he was not angry with me for tricking him into agreeing to my mission of taking


    charge of the Rogue King search. He had just stormed away from the meeting room and left me staring


    at his retreating figure.


    If anything, I thought he would just not talk to me or avoid me. B1 he opposite happened.


    He came to greet me the moment I reached home.


    It was getting harder and harder to not feel guilty about the things hiding from him. I only hoped that


    Drusi and Sid would help mee up with a solid and foolproof n of infiltrating the Rogue King


    pack.


    ¡°It iste now. Go to sleep, we will talkter,¡± He said, but I insisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like seeing you work all by yourself. I want to be of help. Please, can I know what is bothering


    you?¡±


    I looked hopefully into his eyes.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I begged, grabbing the fabric of his shirt in a fist and


    mistakenly pulling him a little closer.


    10:00


    He smiled and replied, ¡°Now if you beg like this, it will be


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    for me to say no.


    very difficult


    There was a subtle shift in the way his voice sounded and the golden color of his eyes shone brightly,


    as if a gust of wind would re up a dying me and bring it back to life.


    ¡°I¡­could you know¡­beg more if you just let me have what I want?¡±


    His eyes darkened, and I felt the heat simmering inside them. My room was barely a few footsteps


    away and we could easily go inside and just start what I had hinted at.


    My heart wanted to do that, my wolf wanted to do that. But, to get my n in action, I had to be more


    involved in work or he would never consider me capable enough to infiltrate the Rogue pack alone.


    So, despite my wolf¡¯s and body¡¯s demands, I ignored the urge to kiss those lips hovering just a hair¡¯s


    breadth away from mine and added,


    ¡°I am just as good at work as I am at begging you. Let me show you how.¡±


    Cahan¡¯s eyes red at my words and he had opened his mouth, but I swiftly turned us both in the


    direction of his office and he let me as we walked through the stairs.


    We had barely crossed a few feet when somebody called out to him.


    ¡°King Cahan, I have news for you.¡±


    ÈË


    We both stopped and looked down to see Elijah standing with so


    in his hand, something I could decipher quite clearly because I ha it just a few hours ago.


    The photos of the murdered victims.

 Chapter 152

    Zenovia


    Even Cahan¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the photos in Elijah¡¯s hands. We were a few feet above


    Elijah, who was standing on the ground floor, but the photos were hard to miss.


    Cahan¡¯s grip on my hand loosened, and he gripped the railing of the


    staircase.


    ¡°When?¡± He asked as I saw his face be angry and he climbed down the stairs hastily. I too


    followed him as Cahan took the photos from Elijah.


    ¡°I just got news of it and came here to report to you.¡±


    Cahan examined the photos carefully and asked, ¡°Where did this happen?¡±


    Elijah replied, ¡°Somewhere in the south. The packs were trying to hide it, but one of my men found it


    when I sent him to check on any suspicious activity.¡±


    Cahan did not say anything to that immediately, but the way his eyes scanned the photograph told


    me he had the same question that had popped up in my mind.


    He looked up to ask a few questions, but saw Martha walk out of her quarters and bow to him.


    ¡°Oh, you are awake, my King. Just wanted to check if you needed some tea/coffee.¡±


    She tried hard to suppress the yawn, working up her throat by hiding her mouth with a hand.


    Cahan hid the photos from her direct view and answered, ¡°No, it is fine. You go rest.¡±


    But she still insisted.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten much either. Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to cook something quickly?¡±


    Elijah answered before Cahan could.


    08:36


    ¡°You know what? I am dying of hunger. This man makes us starve to death. If you aren¡¯t too sleepy,


    could you please make some pancakes for us?¡±


    Cahan pped the photos on Elijah¡¯s chest in mock anger as Elijah grinned at him.


    Martha nodded her head. ¡°Of course, dear.¡±


    Then her gaze shifted to me. ¡°Anything for you, sweetie? You were not even there for dinner.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Maybe just tea¡±


    She smiled and walked back to the kitchen as Cahan and Elijah began walking toward his office.


    ¡°Let us discuss the rest in the office¡±


    Elijah nodded, and I fell in steps beside him, but Cahan quickly turned around with a raised eyebrow


    and asked.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°where else? With you to the office?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, Miss Zenovia Archer. You have had enough adventures for a day. Now you


    should go rest.¡±


    He started walking away without letting me respond, but I quickly went ahead and blocked their path.


    ¡°Just two minutes ago you promised that you would let me in on the work and now you are again back


    to keeping me out of it.¡±


    Cahan made a face as if he was an annoyed parent, and I was an unruly child.


    ¡°I never promised, plus this is a sensitive matter. You can go help Martha if you wish.¡±


    However, I ced my hands on my hips and jutted my chin.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. If you want me to stick to my words, you should stick to yours as well.¡±


    Cahan looked at me for a second and then at Elijah for help, but he only shrugged and patted on


    Cahan¡¯s shoulder.


    08:37


    ¡°I will let you two sort it out. I will wait in the office.¡±


    Cahan looked at his gamma as if he had just betrayed him, but I mouthed Elijah a quick ¡®thanks¡¯


    before turning my attention back to Cahan.


    ¡°You are getting very demanding. If you continue like this, I will have to punish you soon.¡¯


    Despite the slight anger in his voice, my toes curled at the words.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Do as you wish,¡± I replied and Cahan shook his head before walking inside through the door, and


    me grinning like an idiot.


    Elijah was waiting inside, staring at therge map on the table.


    ¡°So, the attack happened here,¡± He said, pointing to a spot on the map and added, ¡°But the bodies


    were found here¡­¡± Hepleted, dragging his point through the map to another spot.


    We peered at the ces intently.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, ording to my intel, the people who died lived in spot A and their bodies were found in spot B.


    Given the distance between the two spots, I take it they were ambushed and then dragged at spot B.¡±


    I stared at the map again. Spot A was just the very far end of the border of our territory while spot B


    was closer to the mansion, almost like a thirty minute drive from the mansion.


    ¡°So you are saying that the people were killed closer to their homes, but their bodies dropped in the


    middle of the forest and closer to Cahan so that he would find it?¡±


    Elijah nodded. ¡°I think so. These men all belong to the pack far south and they don¡¯t generally venture


    outside their territory. So either they were kidnapped and killed at Spot B or killed in their homes and


    left for us to find out at an easily visible ce.


    Cahan¡¯s fingers curled into fists.


    ¡°Have you spoken to their alphas? I want to have a meeting with them. Now!!¡± He demanded, but Elijah


    replied.


    ¡°There is no use, King. They are shocked themselves. The method of killing is quite brutal and unusual.


    We have not had such killings before.


    08:371


    So they are trying to investigate and present information to you when they find anything credible.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. At least Sid had not been lying about the photos then. Some part of me


    believed it had been a trick to get me to meet him, but one look at the photos told me it was the real


    deal.


    ¡°So the Rogue King finally decided to reveal himself after all this time?¡± Cahan asked sarcastically,


    his hands hovering over the map as the cogs in his mind were churning.


    ¡°Seems so. As you can see, there are no signs of injuries or anything else on the bodies. So, they were


    either killed by suffocation or some medicine.¡±


    ¡°Do they have anything weird or unusual about them? Any reason why they were picked as targets?¡±


    Elijah scratched his chin.


    ¡°I have asked the alpha of their pack to inform me¡­.¡± Cahan narrowed his eyes and Elijah corrected,


    ¡°I mean..inform you of the findings. The attack happened two days ago, and the bodies were left to rot


    for a few hours before a patrolling werewolf found them. The family members of the deceased


    requested you to give them the right to bury them.¡±


    Cahan thought about it for a second.


    ¡°I want to see the bodies for myself before you give them away.¡±


    Elijah looked at me and then at Cahan.


    ¡°But¡­they are already starting to decay. We have to bury them as soon as possible.¡±


    Cahan shrugged. ¡°Well then, I can go and pay a visit to the morgue. But I have to take a good look at


    the bodies myself before they are burned.¡±


    Elijah and I exchanged nces. Elijah had opened his mouth to add,


    ¡°But their families are already waiting..¡±


    Cahan¡¯s reply was curt. ¡°They hid the fact from me for 2 days. They can bury the bodies when I am


    done inspecting them. It is final.¡±


    His tone did not leave any room for disagreement. Elijah nodded his head and replied,


    08:37


    ¡°Sure, King. I will have the alpha arrange it, then.¡±


    ¡°Good. We are leaving in five minutes.¡±


    Then Cahan looked at me. ¡°I am leaving. If you think you are brave


    enough to not puke or faint at the sight of the bodies, you can join me for a ride.¡±


    What?

 Chapter 153

    Zenovia


    I blinked at him in confusion as he walked away, leaving me staring at him.


    Cahan had been so adamant that I go to rest and sleep but now he suddenly wanted to go visit the


    morgue? Not just that, he also invited me toe over?


    What was going on?


    I scratched my head as I figured out where Cahan was going with this. Elijah had hurried out of the


    room to make the arrangements and Cahan walked out of the room to get ready, leaving me blinking.


    He had given me a choice for the first time instead of forcing me to stop wanting to meddle in his


    affairs.


    There was no doubt I was going to the morgue. If we got any additional clues about the murders, it


    would help us locate the Rogue King¡¯s whereabouts.


    Sid might take time to find more information given that he was not in direct touch with anyone. And the


    pub visit was another thing I was willing to do.


    I hoped going to both the ces would give me enough information to get my n moving.


    Thus, after taking a few breaths, I walked outside the office and bolted straight to my room. I was not


    going to back away now that I had the chance to possibly inspect a crime scene and proof closely.


    Opening the door, I hurriedly opened the wardrobe and put on jeans, a white top, and a light hoodie


    should I have to hide my face anywhere.


    I was not sure who all Sid was talking to and I did not want anybody to see me with Cahan and then


    report back to the Rogue King. I did not want to get kidnapped again when I was going to willingly step


    into his cave, disguised with Drusi¡¯s help.


    In five minutes, I was sprinting downstairs, tying the shoces, and rushing outside the main door.


    Cahan had changed into fresh clothes as well though he had a grim


    08:50 C


    look on his face.


    ¡°Never saw someone so happy to visit the morgue¡± He quipped and Elijah snorted before walking


    towards the garage to get the car.


    ¡°I told you I wanted to be involved,¡± I said with more conviction than I felt.


    Dead bodies are not something I wasfortable looking at. The idea of visiting a morgue itself was


    unsettling.


    I had barely managed to stare at the photos when Sid showed it to me the first time. The only reason I


    had not puked when I saw them the second time was because the element of surprise was lost.


    Yet, the photos did make me feel queasy. So seeing the bodies in person would be a lot more


    harrowing.


    Cahan saw the nervousness on my face and asked, ¡°Are you alright? You can go rest in your room if


    you are not feeling okay.¡±


    However, I shook my head.


    ¡°I aming and I feel fine.


    Cahan shrugged, ¡°Suit yourself¡±


    9


    Elijah brought the car outside and got in the driver¡¯s seat while we both got in the backseat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill each other with your death stares, please.¡±


    Elijah mocked and started the engine. I gave him a look while Cahan did not even do that.


    He simply pulled out his phone and began scrolling through it.


    My phone was in my jeans pocket and I felt like I should talk to Sid to tell him about the developments


    and also ask him if he got any leads


    But I could not do that with Cahan sitting beside me. So, I simply looked outside the window.


    Chan¡¯s phone rang and he picked up the call.


    That meant he knew who it was because he did not receive calls from unknown numbers.


    I strained my ears to hear who he was talking to and heard Drusi¡¯s


    08-505


    Chapter 153 voice.


    I felt a sudden moment of panic and feared she had called him to tell him about my not so glorious and


    foolproof n.


    But she was speaking in an annoyingly low voice for me to make out anything.


    Cahan too did not speak much and only grunted or replied in one word- yes or no. I waited for him to


    shout at me after the call but that did not happen.


    He simply disconnected the call and began scrolling through his phone again.


    All the while, I sat in nervous anticipation of if he was just letting the


    anger


    boil inside of him and st at me any second.


    Suddenly, I felt the small cabin of the car suffocating. Luckily, we reached our destination in record time


    as Elijah drove effortlessly despite the muddy, offbeat road.


    He parked the car outside the entrance and stepped out to open the door for Cahan but he had


    already stepped out as well.


    I looked at the in gray colored building that looked gloomy and forlorn. A single guard was seated


    outside and he straightened up upon seeing Cahan.


    Bowing down so much that his face almost touched the ground, he greeted.


    ¡°Your majesty. We don¡¯t have many visitors often so it is an honor to be graced by your presence.¡±


    Cahan only gave him a curt nod as he walked past the guard who me and Elijah a bow too.


    The building was not huge, it was a two storey building with a small entrance and flickering yellow lights


    ced at regr intervals.


    gave


    The guard hastily led us inside after opening the locks to the front metal door. It was old and creaked


    horribly when he turned arge metal key that required some strength to turn.


    The lock was probably a little jammed


    The creaking sound of the key turning inside the lock reached my ears.


    08:50


    Cahan took the key from the guard after he struggled a little.


    With one swift move, the lock clicked open.


    ¡°Oil it¡± Cahan grunted and the guard nodded nervously.


    Elijah patted the guard who had a deer caught in the headlights look before walking ahead and pushing


    the huge metal door open.


    ¡°The morgue has very less visitors for obvious reasons. We generally hand over the bodies to the


    families who wish to bid farewell to their loved ones as they choose. However, since this was a¡­ rather


    peculiar case¡­their bodies were first sent here as protocol.¡±


    Elijah informed me as we walked in.


    I was d to have him by my side. Cahan was always the man my heart could not get enough of but


    Elijah was the best friend I needed when Cahan would go into his Lycan King mode.


    Cahan did not speak much as Elijah kept informing me about how the ce came into existence etc.


    In general, morgues were more of a human concept as werewolves did not handle crimes as humans


    did, and pack wars were a norm.


    But it turns out, Cahan had instructed them to set up a morgue just in case there was an unnatural


    crime and he needed to inspect things with his own eyes.


    That exined the worn out condition of the morgue. It was not decaying or rotting but the ce was


    not on everybody¡¯s list of


    sightseeing so it had received a certain neglect.


    While I looked around at the dull gray walls and gloomy passages, a man hurriedly came rushing


    towards us.


    He was a middle-aged man and was sweating profusely. He had a lean build, patches of grey hair


    could be seen in his head and there were bags under his eyes.


    ¡°Your majesty, I am Alpha Rick of the Shadowfall pack. Gamma Elijah informed me that you wanted to


    talk to me so I am here to answer all your questions.¡±


    Cahan looked at him once, letting his gaze travel from head to toe before looking away.


    08:50


    ¡°Why was the incident not reported immediately?¡± Cahan¡¯s tone was


    curt.


    ¡°I¡­we just thought we could handle things on our own and find the culprit instead of worrying you for


    such a small thing.¡±


    We had walked inside a chamber of sorts where there were walls filled with drawers. It was all pale


    gray in color and a single yellow bulb cast a gloomy light on us.


    ¡°Open them¡±


    Cahan instructed the alpha instead of the staff member who had just reached for one of the drawer


    handles


    ¡°Not you.¡± he then turned to Rick, ¡°You, alpha Rick. Open the drawers¡±


    Rick blinked but pushed the kerchief in his pockets and pulled open the drawer. I subconsciously


    stepped closer to Elijah as the drawer opened.


    Inside it was a body, pale and ghastly looking. It was covered in a in


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    white cloth and the stains of blood and bits of flesh sticking to the body were cleaned.


    Though, it was a little nerve-racking to see two hollow holes in ce of the eyes. It was as if somebody


    had scooped the eyes out of the living body and left them to rot.


    ¡°Looks like you failed in your mission, Rick¡± Cahan spoke again and Rick only bent his head low.


    ¡°I apologize for the error, my King¡±


    ¡°Please tell me you found out something in these two days rather than just trying to hide the murders


    and your failure to provide safety to your pack members.¡±


    Rick¡¯s hand twitched nervously.


    ¡°We did, King. But I am afraid it is nothing concrete.¡±


    Cahan was staring at the corpse the whole time, not taking his eyes off it for even a second. I had


    only stolen a nce and looked away before my gag reflexes would work up my throat.


    The air stank of the strong smell of disinfectants and medicines already.


    Cahan lifted the cloth off the body and looked at it as if he were


    08:50


    inspecting a vegetable, not a dead man,


    Elijah too stepped closer but I stayed where I was, gripping the edge of a table ced on the side for


    support.


    ¡°Hmm, let us hear it then¡±


    Cahan remarked and then looked at Elijah.


    ¡°Bring the body to the table.¡±


    I was horrified for a second. He had seen it already. What was more to see by bringing it out?


    Elijah did not even flinch as he opened the drawerpletely and called the staff members to transfer


    it to a table.


    Two men dressed in pale grey uniforms came rushing in, carrying a stretcher but again Cahan


    stopped them.


    ¡°Rick, you do it¡±


    Rick exchanged confused nces with Elijah and me, as if seeking support but we stayed put. I was in


    no mental condition to defend him and Elijah too didn¡¯t bother.


    ¡°Uh, of course, your majesty¡±

 Chapter 154

    Alpha Rick tried not to make a face as he lifted the body that had gone rather stiff and ced it directly


    on the table, stumbling a little on his way to the table and almost bumping the head into the corner of


    the table.


    He then ced the body on the table and I turned my eyes away, for it was stark naked. The man did


    not weigh much, but his body looked stiff as a board.


    Again, a strong scent of disinfectants and medicines hit my nostrils, and I tried to not retch by clutching


    the side of the table hard, letting my nails dig into the wood.


    Some part of the wood chipped off as I tried to fight the nausea building up inside of me. The smell was


    not that big of a deal, but inspecting a living being who died with a cool face was not something I had


    ever done.


    Cahan, meanwhile, walked around the table, carefully inspecting the body as if he had been doing


    this all his life.


    He probably had. I recalled his retelling of the past where he would be guilt ridden of all the dead


    bodies piling up during the war.


    I did not dare go too close immediately, but from here I could see there were no visible marks on the


    body.


    ¡°Name of this man?¡± Cahan asked, while continuing to stare at the


    corpse.


    ¡°Mark. He was one of the low rank pack members. He and his group of friends were known to drink a


    lot.¡±


    ¡°All of them are your pack members?¡± Another question.


    ¡°Yes, my.King¡±


    Cahan nodded and then looked at me.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    I was surprised to be asked that question and fumbled for a response.


    09:27


    I was surprised to be asked that question and fumbled for a response.


    ¡°Uh, maybe these men had irked the Rogue King or his men somehow.¡±


    Cahan shook his head.


    ¡°Nope. Try again.¡±


    I nervously stared at the corpse and tried toe up with a feasible


    answer.


    ¡°They steered too far from the pack¡¯s territory, so they were easy prey?¡± I asked in a questioning tone.


    Cahan shook his head again.


    ¡°No. It means that these were the people nobody would notice had gone missing immediately.¡±


    I tilted my head at that line, wondering how he came to that conclusion.


    Cahan saw the expression on my face and exined, ¡°Look at the corpse, really look at it. What do


    you see?¡±


    I felt stupid with every line I spoke, but with Rick and Elijah watching, I had to answer.


    ¡°That they might have been killed by poison or cutting off their oxygen supply.¡±


    Cahan shrugged. ¡°Could be. We wille to that. My question was what made me assume nobody


    would notice their absence.¡±


    I scratched the back of my neck nervously.


    ¡°Um, because they were low ranking members.¡±


    ¡°Wrong again. Observe the thing that is right in front of you. The corpse¡­the man he once used to be.


    What is his build like?¡±


    I looked at him again.


    ¡°Stocky, he has a round belly too and is short.¡±


    ¡°Now you are talking. However, the correct answer is that they were not warriors of the pack. A warrior


    is always in good shape, pays attention to


    09:27


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    his health, and, in case of any attack, they have a system in ce to alert their family back at home


    and save others, too.¡±


    He then held the hand of the corpse, and I mentally shuddered.


    ¡°Look at the hand. Do you think this hand has ever held a weapon?¡±


    The hand was more like a stump with thick fingers.


    ¡°No, your majesty¡±


    Cahan nodded. ¡°So, they chose people who would not only be unable to fight back, but also whose


    absence would not cause a stir immediately.¡±


    He let go of the hand and dusted his hands before continuing.


    ¡°Now, answer me, Zenovia. Why would someone pick a weakling to leave a message instead of picking


    a strong warrior?¡±


    Again, I could not think of a reason that would satisfy him.


    ¡°Because they just wanted to get the job done instead of stressing on the importance of the message?


    Like I don¡¯t know if they did it only because they were ordered by their alpha or if they wanted to please


    him by going the extra mile and killing someone strong enough.¡±


    This time, Cahan only gave me a small smile instead ofmenting on my answer. And I was


    relieved he had stopped grilling me.


    I was already feeling anxious and his questions, coupled with the fact that we were in front of a corpse


    that had its eyes carved out, made me even


    more nervous.


    Rick stayed silent and nodded to everything Cahan said, meaning Cahan guessed it either way


    and his assumptions proved to be correct.


    His observation skills were quite nice. I had to give him that.


    ¡°I assume no proof or clues linking to a possible culprit have been found yet.¡± Cahanpleted a


    circle, observing the corpse before returning near its head again.


    ¡°None¡± Rick replied.


    ¡°Hmm, now turn it over¡±


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    Cahan ordered out of nowhere, and Rick¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°B-but King, we have already checked everything. There is nothing more to find out.¡±


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    Elijah took a step forward and added, ¡°You do not disobey the King in front of me or anybody at all.¡±


    His tone held a hint of warning, and Rick immediately broke out in a


    sweat.


    ¡°Uh, sorry, I will turn it over, right away, my King.¡±


    Rick walked back to the corpse and turned it over with some difficulty, since the corpse was too stiff


    and the weight was also on the higher side. Neither Elijah nor Cahan attempted to help him as Rick


    struggled to turn the corpse over, the back facing upwards this time.


    The body almost fell down on the bench with a thud and what I saw left me stunned.


    The upper surface of the body was clean and devoid of any scars or wounds. But the backside was a


    completely different story.


    Something had been etched onto the flesh of the corpse.


    We all sucked in a breath to see that there were some weird patterns and shapes etched onto his back.


    Cahan and Elijah stepped forward to look at it. The pattern was etched onto the back as if somebody


    had carved it into a block of wood with a chisel and hammer.


    No blood was flowing out of the etchings, but it was all very eerie. It was as if somebody had tortured


    this man instead of killing him or maybe they had killed him first and then taken their time while drawing


    those patterns on the flesh with a sharp pointed tip of a knife.


    Rick¡¯s eyes went wide as saucers as Cahan looked up at him.


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡±


    Rick¡¯s mouth went dry.


    ¡°I did not. I swear, my King. I only knew of the eyes and that, as per


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    09 27


    protocol, we had to send them to the morgue.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you hesitate to turn it over?¡± Cahan asked, and Rick¡¯s face turned even paler.


    ¡°I just¡­.I am sorry, my King.¡±


    ¡°He must have been a disgusting andzy person when he was alive, but he was still a member of your


    pack. The least you can do is not wrinkle your nose in disgust when I ask you to touch his body.¡±


    Rick looked to the ground, unable to look Cahan in the eye.


    ¡°Apologies, my King.¡±


    Cahan walked up towards him, staring him dead in the eye.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your apology. Tell me why did it take you two days to send it to the morgue? Was it you


    who did this? Someone from your pack? Maybe I should strip you of your alpha title.¡±


    Cahan spoke in an icy tone and the man fell to his knees, begging and sobbing like a child.


    ?


    ¡°I am sorry, Your Majesty. We discovered this, and it was all very new and shocking to us. Rumors are


    ripe that some witch or wizard is tryie back to life and doing ck magic. If he targets someone,


    else he is close to is also targeted. I did not want my pack to suffe wanted to ensure the safety of the


    others. So, I tried to hush it.¡±


    My eyes went wide as I listened to the drama unfold.

 Chapter 155

    Zenovia


    ¡°And you call yourself an alpha? Getting scared by a bunch of rumors.¡± Cahan sneered and added,


    ¡°Get up and get your act together. You are a disgrace to the alpha title.¡±


    Rick got up hastily and looked at Elijah and me once, feeling ashamed that he had an audience when


    the King was lecturing him.


    ¡°Take out the other bodies and ce them on the table as well. I want to see their backs.¡±


    ¡°I..I will, King. Please do not strip me of my title.¡±


    Rick kept pleading and begging, but Cahan paid no attention to his pleas. He only waited for Rick to


    complete the task.


    One after another, Rick pulled out the drawers and put the rest of the bodies on the table, too. And just


    like he had presumed, all of them had identical marks on their backs.


    Cahan and Elijah only exchanged looks as I tried to make sense of what was going on. This was


    even more dizzying.


    My mouth felt dry but I could not drink water here without feeling sick. How could that Rogue King be


    so evil and twisted to torture someone in such a cruel way?


    ¡°As expected¡± Cahan stated, while Rick tried not to shiver in fear.


    ¡°My King, we just wanted to put an end to this instead of trying to alert more people and causing


    unnecessary stress. If news got out that my pack was targeted, the other packs would never do any


    business with us. We would be isted and left to rot. I apologize for my selfishness but it was only for


    the survival of my pack.¡±


    Cahan did not say a word to him but only looked at Elijah who came forward and grabbed Rick by


    the cor, dragging him out while Rick kept screaming for mercy.


    The echoes of his screams died down after a while and just me and Cahan were left in the room with


    the bodies.


    17.


    09:27


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    ¡°So you wanted to be a part of this investigation. What does your mind suggest?¡± Cahan suddenly


    asked me and I looked up at him nervously.


    is gaze traveled to my I and I pulled it away.


    that was still gripping the edge of the table


    Rubbing the back of my neck nervously, I answered.


    ¡°That they are all afraid and somebody is trying to take advantage of their fear, filling their mind with


    doubt.¡±


    ¡°Who would that be?¡± He asked, and I replied, ¡°The Rogue King. Though, I have no idea how or why he


    would be interested in witchcraft.¡±


    Cahan shrugged, ¡°That I would only know when that bastardes face to face with me and stops


    hiding behind the trees.¡±


    He then added, ¡°Come forward and inspect the symbols up close. See if you can find a pattern.¡±


    I gulped.


    So far, I had maintained a good distance from the corpses since my initial bravado had evaporated


    when I entered the morgue.


    But I could not ept that in front of him.


    So slowly, I stepped forward and stood beside him, and looked into his


    eyes.


    ¡°Not at me, you have to look there¡± He pointed at the bodies and I nodded before forcing my neck to


    turn in their direction.


    Up close, it looked even more eerie. The wounds had been cleaned but the flesh looked red and raw


    from the inside.


    I tried not to puke as Cahan reached for a scalpel and handed it to me.


    ¡°Poke at it if you want. See if you can find out something more.¡±


    My eyes went wide but I nervously reached for the scalpel, holding it between the pinch of my fingers,


    and somehow ced it on the skin, trying to not shake,


    Cahan had moved to the other corpses andmented, ¡°All of these


    27


    09:27


    BINANT &


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    ATGA UN


    look a certain age, like in theirte 20s. Do you see any other simrities?¡±


    I was focusing too hard on not trying to let my fingers shake so it took me some time to answer.


    ¡®I¡­uh¡­yeah, they all are male.¡±


    Cahan snorted, which was something I did not think he could do when surrounded by corpses. But


    then, he had killed so many people that the idea of death did not affect him as much as it affected me.


    ¡°Good observation. So, do you think some witch is trying to raise an army or something?¡±


    I held the shaking hand with the other as I tried to answer.


    ¡°I am not sure. I have only encountered Mirabel so far. I have no idea if there are more witches.¡±


    Cahan scratched his chin and saw the way I was holding the scalpel and came forward.


    ¡°That is not how you do it.¡±


    He reached for my hand and held it, showing me how to work. The scalpel¡¯s tip scratched the skin of


    the corpse and I tried not to shu


    ¡°Apply a bit of force. You have to take a sample and observe it clos see if you find any finger marks or


    hair.¡±


    My breathing was uneven as I felt the scalpel pierce into the flesh an sink in, making me close my eyes


    instinctively.


    ¡°Cal, please¡­don¡¯t,¡± I whispered, but he continued to pierce it further, making the tip sink much further.


    My eyebrows furrowed and my body was shaking as he held me caged his embrace, making me


    dissect the corpse.


    ¡°Cal, please. I am not liking it,¡± I said again, but it was as if he could not even hear me.


    When he pushed the tool so far inside that the tip of my fingers touche the skin, I shouted and threw his


    hand off mine.


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    09:2


    ¡®Can you not hear me? Stop it!!¡± I screamed as Cahan watched me impassively.


    My hand was trembling, and the tool fell from my hand, ttering on the floor loudly, the only other


    sound in the morgue in addition to my ragged breathing.


    I staggered back, my hand reaching for support on the edge of the table, but I quickly shook it as if I


    was trying to shake off a fly when I realized the corpse was lying on it,


    ¡°What is the problem?¡± Cahan asked with a straight face.


    ¡°What is the problem? You are the problem. How can you expect me to simply start dissecting and


    ying with corpses as if I had been doing it all my life? I begged and pleaded with you so many times


    to let go of me, but you kept pressuring me toe forward, to touch it, to do everything you wanted. I


    am not like you, okay?¡±


    I blurted out, pushing the hair out of my face and taking in deep breaths. Tears stung at the back of my


    eyes as Cahan did not say a word.


    He simply kept watching me as he bent down to pick up the scalpel from the floor and held it in front of


    my face.


    Bits of flesh and blood were sticking to it.


    ¡°If you are done with your screaming, get back to work.¡±


    He pushed the scalpel back in my hands, but I pushed it away, sending it ttering to the ground again.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T WANT TO DO IT, YOU MONSTER.¡±


    I screamed as Cahan picked it up again and was walking towards me, but I started yelling again.


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    ¡°I said don¡¯t you dare give it to me. Can¡¯t you see it is affecting me? I have not killed people like you


    did, okay? I am not stone-hearted like you and neither can I take lives as if I am the Grim Reaper. I


    recently found my wolf and became your anchor, so please give me some time to adjust to this brutal


    world of yours, okay?¡±


    I began and kept speaking and ranting letting all the confusion and


    09:27


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    disgust I felt on touching the bodies tumble out of my mouth.


    Cahan did not say a word as I called him names, said over and over of how ruthless and unaffected


    he is, how he thinks of humans and his pack members as nothing but soldiers who were supposed to


    kill and die just because he said so. I went on and on and on.


    By the time I slowed down, I realized I had uttered some nonsense, but I was too annoyed by the way


    he was forcing me to cut the body. It still gave me the shivers.


    My heart was racing, and I stopped speaking after a while, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself.


    If Cahan was angered by my words or hurt, he did not show.


    He only took a step forward and lowered his head to whisper in my ear in a cool and calm voice.


    ¡°And yet you think you are capable enough to tackle the Rogue King.¡±


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