Page 21

W olfariane Daminor Throne had a stressful day. After the training with the new lieutenants that are eager to serve Naturiah, he'd been in the Meeting Hall hours on end with the twelve councils. The clan leaders.

The topic had been the same for the past three days... His special ring in the hands of the enemies.

They've been deliberating on it, working on ways to retrieve it. First, they've agreed to send out scouts to the former laboratory where the scientists of the Wolfhunters dwelled fifteen years ago. The same laboratory they'd destroyed.

But then again, they'd thought the Wolfhunters had gone extinct too.

So, the scouts have to go back to their old location to know if they are still there. If they aren't, they can try to find any little evidence that might be able to lead them to their new location ?

After the strenuous day, he'd dismissed the council, took the stairs that lead to the particular floor of the huge tower which is his very personal space, with the intention of resting his head... But, not before stopping by Nalaila's dungeon-room.

She was still sleeping.

He wasn't surprised, but the ache in his heart burned at the very sight.

Recently, Nalaila has been sleeping a lot. Three days...

One week...

Sometimes, two weeks...

Wolfariane feared that one-day, she will not wake from that sleep.

He feared that one day, the wolf will sleep away...forever.

Just the thought of that has his mountain lion roaring in anguish.

He can't look at Nalaila. He just can't.

He stood there for so long, losing track of time until his wolf snarled in agitation. Knowing it's because he'd been standing still for a long time, he left that dungeon to the last floor of the huge tower that leads to his bedroom.

There, he walked straight to his study to go over some business papers Alphose had brought in earlier in the day.

But, the wolf was too agitated. Raging and roaring inside him. Howling and snapping his teeth. Prowling like an enraged predator.

The mountain lion was quiet. Too quiet.

Then, he'd heard her terror-filled scream.

It sounded so far away, but at the same time, it had made his blood boil .

At that scream, the wolf is already banging his head at the wall of his chest, forcing it to be let out. His mate is in danger!

"Shit." He rose from the chair and made his way out of his bedroom again.

"Wolfariane...!" Ismena cried out in sheer fear and panic, as she looked up at her rescuer.

Then, she moved quickly behind him, climbed onto his back, squeezed her eyes closed, and wrapped her arms and legs around his neck and his waist. She held on tightly.

"You are safe." Wolfariane heard the deep growl, it took him a moment to realize that it was coming from him.

She whimpered, her arms tightening around him.

It was a struggle to control his wolf at the smell of terror pouring out from her. Her small form perched on his back was trembling in soft vibrations.

Then, he stared ahead of him at the cougar who ran towards them but came to a sudden halt as it got in front of him.

"What do you think you are doing now, Tim?" He meant to question, but his tone came out harsh. A harsh growl.

The cougar whimpered, clear confusion in its green eyes as it stared at the Alpha King.

"Shift. Now." He ordered, barely reining in his temper .

The cougar shifted, taking mortal form. A young boy stood on two legs where the animal stood, a few seconds ago. The boy was thirteen years old, with shoulder-length jet-black curly hair and a guilt-stricken face.

"A-Alpha King," he stammered out, his head lowered in a bow.

"What do you think you are doing, scaring this human? How many times have I made it clear not to hurt innocent people?" He chided his voice a wealth of reprimand.

"B-But, she's human, Alpha King. I know not to hurt innocent people of our species.

I know not to hurt us, but she is not us!

She is human! She has no business being in our land!

" The boy raged, glaring at the woman in question, who was still plastered behind the Alpha King's back, her eyes squeezed shut and her hands holding onto him like a lifeline.

That had surprised the hell out of Tim when he was in his animal form. The woman had run from him in panic and terror but sought refuge in the arms of the most feared, most dangerous predator of Naturiah. Does she even know who he is?

Humans have no sense at all, Tim concluded, still glaring at her.

"I brought her into this land. She is our guest. You will not harm her when she is here or I will peel off your fur, use it for the border camouflage, and have you resting in the dungeon for two weeks. Did you hear me?"

Tim froze. The hard tone scared the devil out of him, but what made him almost pee his pants, is the punishment. And his eyes have gone amber-gold, meaning the wolf is also angry at him.

The Alpha King is a hard male, but Tim never expected such hard reprimand.

Tears of hurt filled his eyes, his lower lips trembled, "Y-Yes, Alpha King. "

The Alpha King did not back down an inch. "Make sure you let the other kids know. I will not have any of you harming this human or any other innocent person in our land, am I making myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, A-Alpha King."

"You can go now."

The boy practically ran out of his presence.

Wolfariane closed his eyes, fisted his fingers, and took two deep breaths to calm himself...to calm his other half. Now that the smell of fear has gradually faded from her, her scent was beginning to mess with his sanity.

His dick jerked, springing to life. Shit. Keeping his distance from her has not dulled the ache. It annoyed him greatly.

"Get down. Now." His tone was calmer, in contract to the inner battle he was fighting, but just as hard.

The wolf whined, needing her closer.

The mountain lion snarled, needing to get closer to her too...but for a different reason.

His cougar wants to kill his human mate.

Ismena allowed her eyes to open, feeling better. She straightened one leg, before the other one, gently finding her footing. "Thank you so much for c-coming to my rescu— WOAH...!" she gasped.

Her eyes took him in for the first time since they arrived in Naturiah three days ago. "Woah...your hair..." Not even a hair, this is a mane .

He has long silver-gold hair that went down his shoulders in straight strands. She has never seen such beautiful hair before. "Oh my God..." She raised her hand impulsively to touch it, but a glare from him paused her hand in the air.

She snatched her hand back and cleared her throat. "Your hair is so beautiful... It wasn't this color before."

"That was a wig. I do not wear my hair to the human world, for it will draw unnecessary attention to me."

And it will. The hair was too unusual. Too beautiful. The same color as his pelt in the half-shifted form he took when he carried her on his back as he fought danger, three nights ago. The memory made her shiver.

There's another thing. "Who clawed on your cheek?" There are three gashes there, as if an animal took a swipe at him. And it wasn't there when they arrived at Naturiah.

"What are you doing inside this forest, do you have a death wish?" He didn't shout, but his voice was a whiplash nonetheless.

"I w-was going crazy staying indoors all day, I needed to go out!" She answered bravely. Damn, the man is scary when he's angry, but she wouldn't let him rage at her like she's a child. "Eline was supposed to take me, but she hasn't been back in three days, I was bored out of my mind!"

"Better bored than dead. What were you thinking, female?" The scowl on his face blackened more.

Ismena winced and caved. She cleared her throat, "Look, you don't have to be so angry. Even I have realized what a mistake it is, coming out here alone. I know what it looks like, but I don't have a death wish...even if I'm dying."

He said nothing. Only frowned harder. Then, he turned and started walking away .

"I do not care if you have a death wish, Female. I will only appreciate it if you wait till you are out of my land before you exercise that wish, and I will also appreciate it if you stop getting into trouble."

She fell into steps with him, "Hyah! It's not as if I intentionally walk into trouble, alright? That boy could have killed me! I can see the hate in his eyes when he pursued me."

"Changelings do not like humans very much."

"Why?" She was almost running to keep up with him, even though he maintained a steady elegant stride.

"It is what it is."

"That is not an answer." She protested.

"Who taught you to run like that?"

"Oh, that? I'd say my instructor, but he only thought me how to fight, not how to run. I guess it was my survival instincts," she palmed her chest, rubbing it slowly, "My chest is beginning to burn, though."

"Do not faint on me, female. I have no intentions of saving your life again." He has no intentions of creating body contact with her to sustain her draining life force. That will be treading a dangerous path.

"Don't worry your head. I don't need rescuing, I only need my meds." Her face turned sad, "Too bad, I do not have them now."

He made a mental note to clear Alphose's schedule so he can be able to go back to the non-changeling world to buy her meds. "Do not walk down this part ever again. You are lucky that it's Tim who found you first. If it was the Wild Ones, you would have been meat by now."

"Wild Ones? Who are they? "

"They are Changelings who have lost their sanity for a reason or another and take to the wild.

Our mortal forms tame us, Ismena." He rounded another part of the forest, his arms behind his back as he continued, "Without our mortal form to keep contained, we will become worst than wild animals.

Wild Ones have lost their mortal forms, they only ride on basic instincts. "

"Basic instincts?" She asked, enthralled.

"To kill, to fuck, and to hunt. Mostly, to kill.

" He paused, "Fortunately, they mate with each other during the full moon, so we do not have to worry about mass brutal forced intercourse with our women.

But they kill and hunt us. Wild Ones are the most dangerous because their mind is gone. We kill them on sight."

There was no change in his demure or his voice, but Ismena felt his pain in that last statement. She has no idea why, but she suddenly had the fierce urge to offer comfort. "I'm sorry." She whispered, sincerely.

"We have to kill them before they kill more children." Naked pain filled his eyes for one second. He blinked it away. "So, you should make sure to be cautious. Do not wander off on your own."

"Thank you for saving me again." A smile touched her lips, "You are truly my knight in frowning amour."

His brows knitted the more, "What is that?" His confusion was apparent.

"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it." She waved him away. "God, I thought my heart stopped when I saw that cougar. I was almost sure I died." She shivered at the memory. Then, she winced.

He stopped at the pained sound and looked at her, "What is the matter? "

She lowered her eyes down, at the same time pulling up the dress until she revealed bloodied skinned knees. "I fell." She muttered.

The wolf snarled. The man glowered the more, "You need to put herbs and bandages on that."

"Herbs? Is that what you call drugs here?" She asked curiously, letting go of the hem of her dress to flow down her body again, covering up the bruises.

He continued walking, and she hurried into steps with him again. "No. They are different from drugs. Herbs work so much better and faster on us than any drug. It will work for you too."

"Oh, don't bother about it. It's just skinned knees," she'd had worse, "I want to see the land more than I want to treat such little wound. Please, take me around town? Please?" She pleaded.

"I have a lot to do with my time, female. That is not possible." The woman is messing with his head too much, he needed to put more distance between them. Every single time he spends with her strengthens the mating pull between them, which is not something he wants.

"Pleeeease?" Ismena doesn't want to go back to an empty house. Also, she doesn't want this time with him to end yet. Just a few minutes in his presence gives her the feeling that she has never felt more alive.

"No." He gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Pleeeease?" She raised her hands and rubbed her fingers together, to emphasize her pleas.

"No."

"Pleeeeeeease?" She whined again

"No."

"Pleeeease?"

"I said no." He stated firmly.

Several minutes later, a very-frowning, huge man who radiated power and elegance was seen taking a very-happy, beautiful, small woman around town...