"That witch Sirena cursed you,"
A shiver ran down Aereza's spine when she heard those words escaping from her mouth. She hurriedly got up and looked at her grandmother, startled. Wren heaved a sigh before nodding.
"She cursed you that you will feel that same pain which she had felt that day of losing her love, her mate because of your father," Wren said. Aereza just gazed at her.
"And her curse was that the day your mate will mark you, you would have to watch your mate dying in front of your own eyes. The day you will get marked by your mate, you will turn mateless,"
For a brief moment, Aereza felt like everything around her turned numb. A sudden kind of aching started throbbing inside her. She didn't know where it was hurting her but it was hurting her real bad. Although, she had never even thought about having her mate beside her, even in her dreams but still, she couldn't control that pain ripping her existence apart after knowing that even if someday, she would find her mate, she would never be able to be with her love. Aereza used to think that she was a human, so there is no way she would be able to identify her mate so easily because her wolf had still not woken up yet and moreover, she didn't know her father was a werewolf. She used to believe that both of her parents were humans, so she would be a human too but it was not the complete truth.
"Your parents consulted with a lot of other powerful witches and warlocks so that they could bring out some solution to break this curse but nothing helped. Every single person failed to break that curse of witch Sirena, even after your birth," Wren revealed the truth to her.
"And after you turn one, someone from inside the royal family ratted your parents. That traitor spread a false rumour in the Silver Shade Pack that the daughter of Alpha is a curse for the entire pack. You are a misfortune and to prove those rumours right, those traitors started hurting and harming the members of the pack in such a manipulative way that it would look like all of that was happening because of your curse. Your father tried to control the situation but it had already turned too late. His own pack members got against him and demanded that he would have to kill his one year old daughter in order to stop that curse from haunting them but it was not the truth. Your curse had nothing to do with those harms of the pack. It was the result of someone's cunningness who wanted to take your father's position and they succeeded in it,"
Aereza's chest tightened, processing each and every thing.
"Your pack got under attack by its rivals when they found out that the entire pack had gotten against your father, so they took advantage of your father's misery and attacked him. Understanding that they might not be able to overcome that attack, your mother handed you to me and told me to take you far away from that pack where nobody could reach you," Wren uttered and then placed her palm over Wren's hand.
"Your mother chose to save her daughter's life but she refused to leave her love, her mate alone in the path of death,"
Aereza's gaze burnt up with a fresh wave of tears when she comprehended what she actually meant there. Her mother chose to die with her father. She decided to protect her but not leave her love alone to die.
"After leaving the Silver Shade Pack, I brought you and Ivory to this pack and here I gave you a new identity so that nobody could ever find out about your real identity and that curse,"
Holding back her sobs, Aereza managed to ask that question to her.
"Are my parents….." her voice broke but Wren understood what she was trying to ask. She sighed and clutched her palm tightly.
"After coming here, I tried to find out about your parents whereabouts and I get to know that they both died in that attack,"
A sob finally broke out from her mouth. Wren pulled her into a hug and squeezed her eyes in order to fight back her own tears. Aereza whimpered like a little kid in her embrace. Only if she would have known that this truth was going to hurt her so much then she would have chosen to keep it hidden for the rest of her life. She would have never wanted to know about her real identity if she would know that this was going to wreck her existence so cruelly. Why does everything have to be so painful for her? She was already dying with each passing day from the moment she had witnessed Ivory dying that painful death in front of her and now this truth. It broke her already shattered soul more mercilessly.
"Calm down, Reza," Wren pulled apart and cupped her face. She cleaned her tears stained cheeks.
"I am sorry that I was not able to save your parents but I promise I will do my best to break this curse and I promise you will have your love beside you soon and for forever," Wren said. From the day she had embraced Aereza's as hers, she was doing her best to find a way to break Aereza's curse. Although, she had not succeeded in it even a little but she had not lost her hope. She would do everything to make her free from that curse.
"I will do everything to …" Wren stopped when she saw Aereza extending her palm towards her.
"I want a promise from you, grandma," Wren heard her quivering voice.
"A promise that even if you find a way to break this curse one day, you will not break this curse ever,"
Wren's gaze widened in shock. She turned aghast.
"What are you saying, Aereza? How could you say this?" Aereza teared up more, listening to her grandmother .
"I don't need to live with my love because I want to die with this curse, so promise me you will never break this curse,"
Wren felt like a sharp pang inside her chest. How broken she had turned that now she didn't even want to get cured? She didn't want to be with her love because she had started believing that her loneliness was her only destiny.
Wren caged her tightly which made Aereza burst out crying.
"You will have your love beside you soon, Reza and I promise you that," Wren promised her. Aereza didn't say anything. She just cried in her grandmother's embrace because she didn't even know if she was ever going to find her love and even if she did, would she be able to live with her love for the rest of her life?
In the evening, Aereza reached the castle. She didn't want to come here today because she was feeling too vulnerable and exhausted after what she got to know this morning. She just wanted to live in her grandmother's embrace and stay in her home but Alexandria had sent a guard to Aereza's home who informed her that Alexandria wanted to meet Aereza and she wanted Aereza to be with her for her mating ceremony. Aereza couldn't deny even if she wanted to because she knew she had to follow Princess Alexandria's order and wish, so she unwillingly agreed to go to the castle and attend Alexandria's mating ceremony.
"Where were you, Aereza? I was waiting for you," Aereza heard Alexandria asking her as soon as she stepped inside her chamber. Alexandria walked towards her.
"I was feeling a bit tired, that's why I decided to rest for a day," she uttered. Alexandria frowned her brows.
"How could you rest today? It's my mating ceremony, so you have to be with me because you know I consider you my best friend and I want my best friend beside me on this big day of mine," Alexandria stated, frowning. She grabbed Aereza's hand and dragged her inside her chamber where other maids were also present.
"So how is my dress?" She asked her, showing Aereza her mating ceremony's gown. It was a beautiful flowing white gown which had a work of countless shining stones and pearls. It was gleaming. Aereza nodded her head in approval. She had no knowledge about these things because neither she had ever worn these kinds of clothes nor was she interested in wearing them. She always wore normal castle guards clothes.
"And now I have a surprise for you too," Alexandria showed Aereza another ball gown. It was of a dark crimson red colour gown which had very thin layers of stones encrusted all over it.
"This is for you," Alexandria uttered but Aereza immediately denied her.
"I felt honoured with your kind gesture, princess but I don't wear these kinds of clothes so I can't take it," she answered honestly but Alexandria shook her head and handed it to Aereza.
"You have to wear it and that's it. You always wore these ugly and boring clothes, which mostly our servants wear so no. Today, you are going to wear this and I will introduce you as my best friend to everyone in the ceremony, so you have to wear this," Alexandria retorted.
"But, princess. I don't…"
"You cannot defy my command, so you have to wear it and that's it," Alexandria showed her a fake glare which made Aereza sigh. Reluctantly, she took that gown from her hand which made Alexandria beam.
"Okay now, everyone. Get me and Aereza ready for the ceremony," Alexandria announced to the rest of the maids. Aereza already started having a headache by enduring the shine of that gown. She wondered how she would be able to wear it for the whole ceremony which was going to happen almost for the entire night.
"You are looking gorgeous, Princess," the maids complimented Alexandria after dressing her up and making her completely ready for the ceremony. She smiled and got up from the chair.
"Where is Aereza? Is she ready?" She asked.
"Yes, I am ready," that voice made everyone turn their heads and look towards the owner of that voice. Every single maid's eyes widened, along with Alexandria's by witnessing Aereza in that attire.
"Aereza….you are looking like a royal princess," Alexandria couldn't help but exclaim at her mesmerising beauty. Aereza walked closer to them. The maids gave her a stunned and fascinated look which Aereza was not habitual of receiving.
"I don't want to sound absurd but you can make any man go insane over you right now, Aereza. I envy you," Alexandria uttered with a chuckle.
"There's nothing to get envied over me, princess, because I don't need those things which you love," she answered firmly but without sounding rude or impolite. Alexandria rolled her eyes at her.
"You and your unique beliefs, Aereza. What else would a girl need if she could make any man go crazy over her beauty and looks?" Alexandria questioned because those thoughts had been stored deeper inside her head from the beginning.
"I don't believe in needing a man's approval to make myself realise that I am beautiful, Princess. I know what I am and I don't need anyone else's opinion and thoughts on me to reconsider my worth," she uttered without stuttering because that was what Aereza believed from the very beginning of her life and nothing could make her change her decision. The frown on Alexandria's face dictated that her answer didn't please her.
"Look, Alpha Ralph and his pack members have arrived," a maid said, looking outside through the window. Alexandria dashed towards the window and watched her future mate and his members entering into the castle. She blushed, making the maids chuckle whereas Aereza just stood there in her place, feeling that sudden kind of rush filling her insides like it was really very close to her but what or in precise…. who?
After almost an hour, a maid came and informed the girls that the ceremony was about to begin and everyone was waiting for Princess Alexandria's presence. Alexandria took a last glance of her reflection in the mirror and then got up on her feet.
"Let's go," she said to all the maids and then looked at Aereza. She also wagged her head and let Alexandria walk ahead of all of them and all the maids and Aereza followed her outside.
Everyone was heading towards the main hall where the ceremony was going to happen but the girls had to halt when Alexandria's mother approached them.
"You are ready?" She asked her daughter, smiling. Alexandria beamed back and nodded. Her mother planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead before focusing her eyes on Aereza.
"Stay by her side, Aereza," She ordered. Aereza nodded in approval because it was her work to make sure about Alexandria's security.
Everyone just turned around to walk towards the ceremony hall when some sudden kind faded noises started echoing, like screams. It looked like they were coming from the ceremony hall. Everyone tensed up, along with their surroundings.
"What's happening there?" Everyone dashed towards the hall, along with Aereza.
As soon as they reached the ceremony hall, their bodies froze in pure terror. Instead of finding happiness and smiling faces, all they found there was dead bodies and blood. Guards were fighting and Aereza was quick to find out they were under attack. Aereza gritted her teeth. She was about to dash towards the hall to fight them but Alexandria gripped her hand tightly and stopped her from going there.
"Don't leave. They will kill us too," Alexandria sounded petrified. Tears were running down from her eyes.
"NO ……Alpha Ralph," Alexandria heard her mother's scream. Everyone turned their heads and Aereza witnessed a masked man clutching the neck of Alpha Ralph's half unconscious bleeding body.
Aereza witnessed that masked man snapping his eyes straight towards her direction. A tendril of chill ran down her spine when her gaze met with those familiar glowing amber orbs of that masked man and she immediately understood who it was……. DARREN VENZOR…..
She witnessed him removing his mask but without taking his eyes away from her. Aereza clenched her fists when she noticed a viciously fatal grin forming on his face as soon their eyes collided, like he was waiting for her to witness his brutality and just by peering into her grey spheres, Aereza watched him holding Alpha Ralph's body with his both hands before he teared his body into two with his bare hands like a wild animal. His whole body and face got stained with Ralph's blood
A scream escaped from everyone's eyes who witnessed that extremely frightened scenario in front of them, except Aereza whose eyes remained fastened with those burning amber orbs which were indicating that thing to her that….it was just the beginning…..
Aereza watched him throw those ripped parts of body on the ground and then he wiped that blood on his face with the back of his arm like it was not someone's blood but his sweat. All this while his eyes didn't get away from her face for a single second, neither she looked away from him. Tilting his head a bit and maintaining that wicked smirk on his face, Darren's feet tried to make their way towards her. By peering into those silver balls, he walked towards her. He had just taken a couple of steps when someone came in front of him, blocking his view. Darren snapped his gaze towards that blockage and found the Alpha of Emerald Stone Pack standing before him. His jaw clenched in pure rage which made his palms start shifting into sharp and callous claws of his beast so that he could tear him apart because now nothing could keep her away from him. He was just about to attack him but stopped when Alanso got on his knees and lowered his head in front of him."We are accepting our defeat,
Leaning against the headboard of the bed and sipping from his glass of liquor, Darren was patiently waiting for the arrival of that grey-eyed owner. He had called for her and now both, he and his wolf, Thunder, they both were wanting her presence in front of them as soon as possible, especially his wolf, he was longing to have his mate closer to him but instead of getting pleasured with her intoxicated presence, Darren saw his beta, Rowan, entering into the chamber. Darren's displeased gaze told Rowan that he was not waiting for his arrival and he knew exactly for whose arrival he was waiting there. "She has left the castle for her home," he informed Darren which made Darren lift his one brow. "Aereza Monroye lives with her grandmother. She doesn't live here," Darren took another sip from his glass and silently heard his beta. "Should I send someone to take her here to present her in front of you?" He asked which made Darren smirk viciously. Rowan saw him shaking his head in a n
"This is your chamber," hearing the maid, Aereza stepped inside the chamber. She wandered her eyes everywhere and caught herself getting mesmerised with the ethereal beauty of that chamber because she could not just help it after watching that place. Different kinds of carvings were encrusted in the walls and ceiling of that chamber. It was neither very big nor too small. It was not reeking of royalty but it had a beautiful touch of serenity. Perfect for someone like her to live who hated overly luxuries of living. That chamber had a couple of big windows and from one of them, the gleaming light of the moon was straight coming inside through it and was falling on the bed which was placed in the head of that chamber. A dimmed chandelier was burning just above and in the middle of the bed, enhancing the captivating aura of that chamber room. It was perfect…. perfect for fulfilling her unthinkable needs. Aereza felt like this chamber had been made only with the purpose of completing he
After he left from that rose garden, leaving her alone, Aereza aggressively wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeves and then looked for her sword. She found it laying on the ground. Dashing towards it, Aereza kneeled down and grabbed it. His crimson blood had stained its edge completely. Gritting her teeth, Aereza got up on her feet and stormed inside her chamber through that door from which she had come outside. Entering inside that chamber, Aereza started cleaning her sword with her clothes. His blood disgusted her. She loathed it. She hated his closeness. She despised his very existence. Her thoughts turned so aggressive that it stopped her other senses from working. She started cleaning the sword with her bare hands. She just wanted to wipe away each and every drop of his blood. Aereza vigorously started rubbing the sword and ended up piercing her hand with it. A hiss escaped from her mouth as soon as she felt that sharp stinging sensation on her palm. Aereza looked at her
After taking a relaxing bath and cleaning herself, Aereza stepped out of that pool but then she remembered she had not taken her clothes with her to this bathhouse and her previous clothes were not in a condition to get worn again without getting washed first because they were reeking of her sweat and his blood and after a lot of efforts, she had gotten rid of his blood stains from her skin, so she was not going to wear those dirty clothes again without washing them.She looked here and there for something to cover herself and found a black colour cloth placed on a table which she assumed was there to dry oneself with it after taking a bath. Aereza grabbed that cloth and unwrapped it. It was fortunately big enough for her to cover her naked body with it. She draped that cloth around her wet naked body and it decently covered her from her bosoms to slightly below her knees. She sighed and tugged her wet brown strands behind her ear. Her hair was dripping water just like the rest of he
He started licking the place of her mark with his tongue, making her shudder. Aereza felt his other palm cupping her bare core. In pure panic, Aereza looked around for something to save herself from him. Her eyes caught a lamp stand which was placed on a table beside the bed. Stretching her hand, she grabbed that lamp stand and when she felt his canines grazing against her skin, she hitted the back of his head with that lamp stand as hard as she could. She heard him loudly growling in pain and it ached something inside her. That same foreign sensation which started emerging deep from her inside after hearing his painful growl but no, all of this was wrong. She could not let him harm her like that. Aereza again hitted him with that lamp stand with even more ferocity this time and on that same exact place on his head. He slightly pulled back and looked into her glossy eyes. Blood started dripping from all over his head and fell on her face. Aereza noticed his glowering orbs got fill
"So, we met again….." his deep pitched voice reverberated. Her jaw clenched whereas her fist tightened. She loathed the very existence of this monster and that was the only truth. All these years she was living her life with the sole purpose of taking his life with no mercy, just like she had seen her sister getting brutally raped and dying just because of him and those irrational thoughts which had started consuming her after she hurted him, they were immoral and utterly wrong and she was never going to let them win over that sole truth that…she hated him.Darren roamed his eyes all over her and his wolf growled in anger inside his head by finding his mate chained there like that. Her state displeased his wolf. Thunder loathed witnessing his mate in that condition, even after knowing how badly she had tried to hurt him.A malicious grin crept on his face as his feet made their way inside and closer to her. "But, it looks like, my presence didn't please you, like always," His words
Aereza felt his lips slowly devouring her mouth, like he was trying to save every moment of it. This time his actions felt extremely tender and gentle unlike before. His mouth alluringly caressed her lips, making that unknown sensation to again start awakening inside her. Aereza felt like something inside her purred in pleasure when he started wiping his warm tongue all over her mouth. Her heart shuddered in ecstasy but that little remaining sanity inside her head was telling her to push him away. That this was utterly wrong, no matter how good and right it was feeling. Clutching his shoulders, she tried to push him away but this time, even her force felt reluctant to her own self, like she had lost her strength to even push him away from her or maybe, she had lost her desire to part their shipping bodies. When Darren felt her reluctant attempts to push him away, his wolf purred in joy because even Thunder could feel his mate was now resisting her thoughts of pushing him away from h