Page 37

I smena spent her day moving around the werewolf clan, familiarizing herself with the clan her mate belongs to.

Just like every other clan, the werewolf clan is as beautiful and just as peaceful. The people are kind too. They were no longer as touchy as most of them were when she came to this place the first time.

No, they are becoming more accepting of her and it makes her very happy. She'd asked her bodyguard, Sentinel Noah, if there was a special reason why this is happening.

"The people heard about how injured our Alpha King was when he came back from the human world but he'd healed just as fast. I think it has something to do with that.

" The wolf changeling shrugged, "They are beginning to accept you better because they are beginning to see how compatible you are with the Alpha King even though you're human.

You smell so much like him, it's hard to get past that too. "

"Most importantly, it seems the Alpha King has accepted you. Where he goes, we follow." He finished, shrugging again .

A grateful smile split Ismena's lips, "Thank you so much, Sentinel Noah."

"My pleasure, my lady." He inclined his head.

As they continued their walk through the clan, more werewolves both old and young greeted her. Some even pointed out how much she smells like their king while looking so fascinated by it. She took those well-meaning words like the compliments they are.

The children flocked around her. She'd spent more time with children here in Naturiah than all throughout her life in her world, and she's coming to realize how much of an adorable soul they are.

For a good portion of the day, they surrounded her, getting her to give into telling them about the human world. So, she told them stories after stories, while walking around town.

It was late evening by the time she finally arrived back at the Tower. The guards bowed their heads to her as she moved past the gates and entered through the heavy doors of the entrance.

Even with all the problems around her now, she was happy about how accepting the people are becoming of her. All sweaty and ready for a bath, she took off her clothes.

Reaching for her towel, she wrapped herself and headed for the bathroom. Ismena was most surprised when she turned the shower diverter On, but no water came out of it.

"Oh? Did the water finish?" She muttered, turning it Off and On again, and again and again. No water.

Turning it off, she went out of the balcony and waved her hand, catching the attention of one of the sentinel guards at the gate .

"Please, call Marian to my room." She did not bother to shout, knowing that the Sentinel already tuned in to her voice.

His head nodded. The sentinel spoke some words she couldn't hear.

Then, he raised his head towards her and nodded again, a way of telling her that he'd delivered her message.

"Thank you."

He bowed his head.

Back in her bedroom, she waited patiently for Mirian. She did not wait long.

The door opened and the older woman hurried into the bedroom. "I'm here, my lady. Do you need my assistance with anything?"

"I wanted to take a shower but the water is not coming up."

"Oh? I'm so sorry about that, my lady. That only happens when water finishes in the two wells. I will have the guards fill it up with water. In a few hours, the showers will work just right again."

"Alright, thank you, Mirian."

"My pleasure, my lady. So what do you plan to do? Do you want me to run you a nice bath or do you still want a shower?" The older woman cocked her head to the side in thought, "If it must be the latter, I suggest you use the shower in the King's chambers."

Ismena was really tempted to. "Well, I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"If you're worried about invading his privacy or entering his chambers without his permission, you have nothing to worry about, My Lady. The Alpha King went to the Reptile clan, he wouldn't be back for a few hours."

"I think I'll use his bathroom." She decided. With the tension that has fallen between them for over a week, she wouldn't want to be caught in his room without his invitation. So, she'll be fast about that.

She finished taking her shower, stepped into the bedroom, and gasped.

Wolfaraine was sitting on the bed, his hands palming his head. He seems to be in deep thought.

Butterflies spread through her belly at the sight of him, and her heart raced—and it wasn't because he'd caught her in his bedroom either. The distance between them made her crave this man more.

Looking at him now, the invisible barrier that formed between them during the week felt like torture.

If he's aware of her presence or heard her startled sound, he made no indications about it.

She cleared her throat, "Ehm, I a-apologize for being here. T-The water finished, so, I had to u-use this one."

She was clearly fluttered and it showed, but he wasn't looking at her. "It's alright, Ismena."

He murmured the words in a low tone, she had a hard time hearing him. But he sounded tired.

Taking a good look at him now, she noticed the lines of exhaustion on his face—his posture too might be screaming 'Keep your distance!' but there was something vulnerable about it.

Ismena shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. She wanted nothing more than to comfort him, but she couldn't. She has no idea how to break through those invisible walls around him. He would not let her do so.

"Can I help with anything?" She asked softly.

Please, say yes. Please, ask me to stay. Please, look at me. Please, say yes.

"No." Firm. Uncompromising. Final.

Her heart crumbled.

She hid it well. "Okay. I'll...uhh...I'll just get going."

She walked past him towards the door. She'd opened the door when his voice stopped her.

"I am going to the Elephant Clan for the meeting in regards to the family that was killed. I will be back in the morning. If..." he paused for five seconds, "If the wolf in the dungeon makes a fuss during the night, send one of the sentinels to come and get me."

"I will do that." He was hurting—especially about his sister—and he is doing it alone. He is not letting her in.

Ismena wondered if he has started hating her as much as he hated her kind?

The thought left a sore taste in her mouth. In her heart.

She walked past the door and closed it behind her.

Hours later, Ismena in her night robes walked through the long, hallway that leads to Nalaila's bedroom .

Her heart was in her throat for what she was about to do. But then again, playing it safe was no longer helping the situation, neither was it helping Nalaila.

Passing a sconce lit with fire, she unattached it from the wall and held it in her hand using it as a torchlight. At the door, she re-attached it back to the wall before she opened the door and entered inside.

Her eyes found the wolf curled into itself protectively, and sleeping peacefully behind the thick barricades confined her to the bedroom. She stood there for a few minutes, allowing the silence to wash over her.

Then, she began:

"A subject I have always tried to keep away from whenever I visit you here is the subject I will be talking about tonight, my dear friend, Nalaila." She said aloud, doing her best to suppress the fear. The nervousness.

"You know, when I first met him, he scared the very devils out of me." A nervous laugh, "I'll have you know that I'm not the only woman that he has that effect on. Men and women fear him—and they have every reason to do so. Your brother is a very strong man. And he does not smile, do you know?"

"He does not. The frown lines on his face create a path to his hair, that's how hard the man keeps his face squeezed all the damn time.

You know, when we first met, some men were gonna rape me in a public bathroom.

Not to brag or anything but I'm a beautiful woman, baby girl.

We were in a club and those men decided they wanted a piece of me. "

Damn, stupid Ismena. The lady does NOT need a story about rape, you fool. Damned nervousness!

I'll just rush through it, she decided.

"Anyway, I was drunk, but I was determined to feed them a few of their teeth.

They overpowered me but your brother entered in the nick of time.

He beat them up in seconds." A smile touched her lips at the memory, "He hated that he was saving me, a human.

But he did it anyway. A saw a gold ring on the floor and stole it, thinking it belonged to my abusers but it turned out that it belonged to your brother. "

She walked to the window and looked out into the night sky, "Turns out it was his special ring.

I didn't know and pawned it. When I found out it belonged to him, I ran away.

He chased me around the world, caught me, and brought me to this place.

Not only because of the ring, but because I was his mate. "

It hurts to say that word 'mate.' It hurts badly.

"I got to know him really well here. He is a great male.

He is also a sad and lonely one. He hates my kind to the core because of what happened to him eighteen years ago.

" A pause, "...because of what happened to his beloved sister.

It lives with him every day. He talks about you all the time.

For the strongest of males, he always looks on the verge of tears whenever he talks about his beloved sister. "

Her eyes tracking a particular moving star, she smiled a little, even as tears prickled her eyes.

"He blames himself for everything. He was unable to protect you when you were taken, he blames himself for that.

He was unable to protect you from the hideous things that happened in the lab, he blames himself for that too. Every night. Every day."

"He does not sleep well at night. He is a troubled male.

Sometimes, he has to fight hard to hold down his other halves, knowing that he will become feral if those part of him ever wins in the battle of control.

His Alphas are worried. They think he is not fighting hard enough, because he does not have the zeal to fight hard enough. "

She blinked hard to keep the tears at bay, "He does not feel he has the right to live well while you live in misery, trapped in your wolf. He is sorry, every day, for what he did to you, Nalaila."

"He swore never to take a mate. Never to have a child. Never to be happy. He does not think he deserves those." she sniffled, "And it gets worse daily. Every time you refused to step out of here and into the fresh air, you hurt him immensely."

Turning away from the window, she walked back to stand in front of the cage. The wolf has not moved. Its breathing has not changed. Its eyes have not opened. Nothing.

But, she did not stop.

Tears overflowed from her eyes as she whispered, "Please, do not die, Nalaila.

Do not choose death over your brother. You don't have to take the human form.

If that zeal...that Will...is not in you, you do not need to force it.

But, please, do not die. You have held out for eighteen years. ..do not give up now."

No movement.

But, a tear dropped from the wolf's closed eye.

A huge sense of hope enveloped Ismena. She can hear! She can hear her!!

Oh, my, God, she can hear me!!!

"If you cannot forgive him yet, I understand," she continued, "I understand and he does too.

But, please, do not die. He will never be able to recover from that.

Go out to the night; get some fresh air, run in the woods and climb trees.

You are strong, I know you can do this. I know you hate my kind.

I understand. I hate my kind too for what they did to your kind. ..to you."

Another tear dropped from the eyes of the white wolf.

"I will always visit you here. You are my friend and I love you...even if you hate me. I understand it all. But don't give up on us. Don't give up on your brother." She wiped the tears from her eyes, "Don't give up on yourself, Nalaila Sierandelina Throne. "

Silence descended upon them afterward. Dead silence.

A second passed... And then, two.

Three...

Six seconds...

Ten seconds...

Then, the white wolf opened her eyes.