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Wolfaraine couldn't find Ismena in the Castle. He asked a servant he came across in the hallway, and she informed him that the Rahinna took the wolf out for a walk.

He followed their scent to the lake at the back of the castle and found her throwing a ball with the Wolf.

For a moment, he remained unseen watching the two play around.

Her laughter bubbled out of her when the wolf grabbed the balls from her hand with its teeth and threw it far away to the other side of the beach.

"You bad, bad Wolf!" She shouted, taking off in a run to get the ball. The wolf ran behind her, surprisingly following her pace instead of running ahead of her.

A warm feeling seized his chest at the beautiful sight. His sister was almost behaving like a normal changeling in wolf form. It was a refreshing sight.

Ismena picked up the ball, turned around and that was when she noticed his presence. The smile on her face changed to a radiant grin. Raising her hands she waved him over.

The wolf growled at him when he got really close, before snatching the ball using its teeth again, threw it far away, and went after the ball with purpose leaving him alone with Ismena.

He inhaled deeply, returning her welcoming grin with a little smile of his own, "You smell like Nalaila."

"I do, right?" She looked down at herself, "I've been here for hours with her. Is it too much?"

He shook his head, "Just enough. You can't take her scent too much even if you tried because she isn't your mate. I am. And yeah, you practically stink of me." he stated with a smug smile.

Ismena burst out laughing. She slipped her hand into his as they began walking around the beach.

Afterward, a comfortable silence descended upon them.

Occasionally, she will kick her foot in the sand playfully and it made him smile inwardly. Wolfaraine was happy about the kind of woman his mate is. A woman who is very smart, selfless, caring, playful and so damn brave. She balanced his world perfectly because she was almost everything he is not.

"Has Mirian given you the liquid I asked her to prepare?" He asked, breaking the silence.

She nodded twice, "She did so before I came out here with Nalaila. I already have the garlic tied up and hidden in our bedroom too."

He did not talk for a while after that. Just walked with her while the wind blew around them.

Finally, he took a deep breath, "A changeling has three forms. The male form, the animal form, and the half-shift, also called the humanoid form.

A changeling can take his woman in all those forms and a female mate's body is made to accommodate her male mate in every form it takes.

That is one of the numerous reasons why a female mate whether changeling or human is different from an ordinary female. "

"No matter how much your body stretches to take ours in, in any form we are in, it still goes back to its originality afterward." He said.

"Yeah, I kinda noticed that." She cleared her throat, her cheeks going crimson, "You are not exactly normal-sized to take on, in your male form, and with the rate we go at it, I expected my body to be different by now.

But instead, I feel like nothing's changed.

" She responded and he gave her one of those rare smiles of his.

"Nothing changed. Your body is still the same as it was the first night I penetrated you intimately and that is the way it'll remain. You only stretch in that duration of time to accommodate me, afterward, your body snaps back together like a rubber band."

"Mmm...very interesting." She mused.

He shrugged, "Anyway, we rarely take our women in the animal form mostly because even the animal does not prefer it.

It prefers the Half-Shift. And in the Half-Shift, during mating, the animal is much more in charge and in control than the male.

The ratio is more like 75 to 25. Needless to say that mating in Half-Shift is sometimes different from the regular mating.

" He paused, "Rougher. Aggressive. Sometimes anal. ..depending on what the animal wants."

Ismena flinched, trepidation crossing her expression, but she did not interrupt him.

He stopped and turned to her, "The reason I'm telling you this is that there's a possibility that the cougar will want to mate with you and even though you should not let that happen, I still want you to know the basics you need to know about mating with our other-halves."

"Okay, I'm listening." She breathed .

"Knotting also happens sometimes during mating, when the animal is in charge." He went on.

"What does it mean?"

"I do not really know how it happens because I have not knotted any woman before—you are my first mate, you know," an amused smile crossed his features and she smiled too.

"But, from the knowledge I have, our body will be locked together after the male finds release and sometimes, it takes some time before the male can pull out of his woman. "

Ismena did not completely understand what he was saying, but she still nodded, "Okay, go on..."

"I heard it might hurt the first few times but eventually, it stops. In any case, I just wanted you to have this knowledge because one day, we will get intimate in the half-shift of the wolf when the cougar is no longer a threat. Besides, the mating ritual also happens in half-shift too."

"I'm not giving you this knowledge because of tonight, Ismena. No matter what happens tonight, do not let the cougar mate with you. It is very dangerous. Do not try to brave it out, do you hear me?"

She nodded her head vigorously, "Of course, I heard you.

I'm not going to let that happen. By the lord Jesus, just the thought of the cougar mating with me makes me wanna pee my panties in terror.

I'm not gonna try to 'brave' that one out, so you shouldn't worry at all.

I do not want to die!" A shiver ran down her mind as the image of the mountain lion tearing her limb by limb filled her head. "Definitely not gonna let that happen."

"Good. Besides, it is just an assumption. It would not happen. I just want to prepare you in every way." He added, looking worried .

Ismena has come to realize how much this male, this cold, unfeeling, and tough male has come to care about her. A few weeks ago, she would never have believed it possible, but now she knows differently. It warms her heart every damn time.

Taking his hand into hers, she squeezed reassuringly. "I am prepared. I know you are worrying so much. Can you please try not to worry too much? I will be fine. It will be alright."

Night finally came.

Ismena and Wolfaraine stood facing each other in his chambers. The huge white wolf came too, at the urging of Ismena, and it sat at its hunches at the other side of the bedroom, just watching them.

Outside, Alphose stood at the gate of the tower, pretending to guard the gates as a sentinel while tuning in to the Alpha King's bed chambers.

Ismena has the liquid concoction of Rhodium and Morgan Silver hidden under the bed, directly behind her. Even the garlic was hidden right there.

Wolfaraine watched her carefully. He palmed her cheek, "Are you sure you want to do this, honey?" He asked in a very gentle voice, "The scent of your fear is thick in the air. You are very nervous."

Ismena was nervous. She is about to meet a very powerful predator who hates her gut and the very air she breathes, of course she is fucking terrified.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her clothes, the thudding of her heart in her chest was very loud to her ears too .

Oh God, ohgod, ohgod, ohgod, what was I thinking!? How in blessed hell did I think I can do something like this!? Satan's pink balls, I must be very crazy!!

"I do not know what is going through that pretty head of yours, but I can tell that you are freaking out from the fight-or-flight look in your eyes." Wolfaraine assessed, softly. "Should we stop?"

Ismena hesitated.

He did not try to force her or to pace her, instead he waited patiently for her to come to a decision.

Finally, she exhaled a long, stuttered breath and looked him in the eyes. "No, let's do this."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yes, I am. I'm ready."

He gave a nod too. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead tentatively. "My brave, brave woman."

She closed her eyes, reveling in the soothing kiss that touched her beating heart like a lover's caress.

Then he pulled away from her.

She undressed quickly, ignoring her nerves that had gone all over the place. When she was finally naked, she lowered herself to her knees, interlocking her fingers together behind her back.

Then she gazed up at him and whispered, "I am ready."

That was when he took steps away from her until he was standing directly in front of the closed door of his bedroom .

His eyes locked with hers.

Then he shifted into the mountain lion.

One moment, the male was watching her and the next, she was looking into the deep green eyes with a huge, gigantic King-Cougar.