ALTHEA.
I had become accustomed to living alone after my mother died two years ago.
I had no idea about the cause of her death. I just found her not breathing in the middle of the forest of the red mountain after two days of non-stop searching for her.
My mother would never abandon me for more than 24 hours without notice. This time, she told me she would gather herbs at the mountain’s east end, but she would return before nightfall.
The night came, and the morning followed, but she was nowhere home.
I waited until lunchtime, and when she didn’t appear, I prepared to go after her.
The forest was full of creatures beyond what a human mind could comprehend. Shifters were everywhere. The bears and the wolves were the most commonly encountered, according to Mom. But as much as they were dangerous and everywhere, I was lucky to have never met one.
And I hoped that I would find my mother before I crossed paths with any shifters or any other species, not from the human realm. I was not scared of them, but I was aware I was weaker than them, so I was not taking any chances.
I set off on my journey. It took me two days of non-stop walking and following her traces.
My mother would never tread the forest without leaving traces of her magic for me. So the moment I couldn’t find more after following the path of her initial leads, I knew it meant danger for both of us.
But I kept walking.
At the end of the second day, I found the answer that I was looking for. Her body was lying on the cold forest floor, slightly covered in mud and dried leaves.
She was dead for more than forty-eight hours.
I spent the whole night crying beside her, hugging her cold body as if my cries and pleas to the spirit would bring her back to life. But it did nothing.
My name is Althea Vitali — a solitary, light witch.
My mother had taught me many magics and spells, but none of them were about bringing the dead back to life.
It was prohibited by the law of nature. But I wish I tried to know more about it because, at that moment, I wanted her back, and I didn’t care if I were to violate any laws.
I had no one but her.
I didn’t meet my father. I didn’t even know his name.
Mom told me she lost contact with my father even before I was born, and she thought it was better that I didn’t know who he was.
I was okay with that. I have a mother. I would survive.
So when my mom died, my world came crashing down. But slowly, I had learned to accept that I was bound to be alone in this life.
I was sixteen at the time.
For two years, I lived in isolation. I could count on my ten fingers the number of times I went down the mountain into the nearby city to buy things I needed. But mostly, I make use of everything around me to survive.
So far, I am surviving. I had no complaints. I was thriving with nature.
I splashed the water around me as I giggled heartily. I was in a small lagoon under a beautiful waterfall, two kilometers away from my small cabin.
Bathing naked in this place is what I consider a luxury.
The water was chilly at this time of the year, but a little magic helped warm it up, and voila! I have my own warm, private bath, with nature surrounding me.
Living alone wasn’t that bad.
I ran my hands on my hair, flattening it, before I lowered my body into the water and swam deeper, picking up the trinkets I dropped earlier to keep me entertained.
I was swimming peacefully when my heart began to beat rapidly for no reason at all.
This usually happens when I sense danger. I paddled and made my way up to the surface, and the moment I did, my eyes widened before a scream escaped my throat.
“Aaaaaah!” My eyes locked with a very naked, huge man standing by the edge of the lagoon, straight from where I was.
I kept screaming, but I remained in my spot, just looking at him, until I realized something was moving in the middle of his body.
He had a growing erection.
And spirits! It was huge, and it was still getting bigger.
I had never seen a naked man in flesh, that I couldn’t stop my eyes from widening and my pussy from tingling.
My head slowly tilted up to look at his face. His eyes were swirling with lust as they focused on something, only for me to realize that he was looking at my breasts as the waters sat below them.
Instead of covering my nakedness, I spread my arms open and summoned leaves from the ground to swirl around him, creating a tornado in his space.
“What the fuck?” He growled.
I wasn’t expecting his loud voice, so I lost focus on my chants, and the tornado disappeared.
I prepared to do another one, but the huge man jumped into the water and landed in front of me.
I knew I was doomed.
Water splashed all over my face and my feet slipped. I screamed as I fell back.
I was gasping for air when his hands gripped my arms and held me up, putting me back up, but he was holding me so tightly that it was already painful.
“Let me go!” I screamed as I tried to get away from his hold. My hands tried to reach any part of his body, scratching and clawing him, but I was nothing compared to his big frame.
“Calm the fuck down!” He growled, and it made my body go rigid. But before I could plead for my freedom, he pulled me towards him, slamming our naked bodies together.
My breasts were pressed against his hard stomach, and his hard thing was poking at my navel.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Calm down, or my wolf will come out.” He said in a low, raspy voice, and a chill ran down my spine. I had no idea if it was because of the word “wolf” or because his voice sounded rough yet so sexy.
He’s a shifter. A werewolf. No wonder his build was too perfect for a regular human.
I closed my eyes, trying not to be affected by his naked body against mine, but I couldn’t help panting. Every part of my skin was tingling, as if they were excited to touch him.
“Get away from me…” I mumbled. I had to, or I would collapse soon.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
How would I tell him I had never been this close to any males before? That his naked body was setting a fire inside me? And despite being submerged in water, I could feel something leaking between my thighs.
“Don’t hurt me…” I knew I could protect myself, or at least try to unless he was a powerful werewolf, but I would never be able to fight him off without my crystals and runes. Besides, his presence was making my knees weak and my stomach churn.
“If I wanted to hurt you, you’re already dead by now.” He said in a cold voice that it snapped me back to reality. He was a stranger, and that meant danger.
“What is your name?” He asked.
“I don’t owe anyone my name. Why are you here?” I asked back.
“I have a business here.”
“Are you going to kill me?”
“You’re dead now if I wanted to kill you. You wouldn’t even have any time to speak.” He spewed his words, laced with irritation.
“Let me go,” I said in a firm voice, my teeth chattering. The warm spell I placed on the water vanished and cold was already enveloping my body.
I didn’t realize I was leaning heavily on him when he abruptly let go of me. My feet slid again and I was about to crash into the water when I felt rough hands on my ass and on the side of my breast.
“Can you fucking balance yourself?” He growled while my hands widened because I could feel his calloused hands on my private parts. “How fucking clumsy can you be?”
“You, freaking monster! Get your hands off me!”
“The fuck!” He growled one more time and let me go. My body fell over to the water and I began flailing my arms so I could float. I was expecting he would help me again this time, but the help didn’t come.
I eventually found my balance, but anger was brewing in my chest as I stared at him. “This is my private spot! Leave!”
He had already made his way onto a big stone in front of me. He scoffed as he turned around and crouched, his hard cock pointing in my direction, which was almost parallel to my face.
I was still furious with him, but I couldn’t explain what I was feeling at the sight of his manhood. Excitement? Curiosity?
But there was no way I would let him know that.
“Have you got no decency?” I cut him before he could speak. “Get that thing off my face!”
ALTHEA. “Have you got no decency?” I shrieked at him. “You hideous creature! Get that thing off my face!” “Can you fucking calm down! I’m a shifter! Nakedness doesn’t bother me!” “'I'm not a shifter and I don’t go around naked or see naked people around me!” “If you’re not fucking aware, I can see your breasts and your pussy but I don’t act as if it’s the end of the fucking world!” He scoffed. I hissed before I swam to the nearest rocks and hid part of my body before I spoke. “Again, leave.” I had no idea if I was disappointed he saw my private parts or because he was simply ignoring that he saw them while I was so affected by his nakedness. “Are you a witch? I need to speak with the witch of the red mountain." He ignored my words again. “I don’t have time to answer your question!” "Oh, come on, little mermaid! Just answer my question, and I’ll be out of your hair!” I glared at him but didn’t answer. I motioned with my hands, and my clothes shot up in the air and landed in
ALTHEA. I arrived at my home and tried to go on with my routine, but I couldn’t seem to focus. Everything reminded me of him. I could see his muscles flexing and the way his jaw tightened, and even with his nose flaring and his eyes glaring at me, I found myself attracted to his physical features. Something was definitely wrong with me. For the rest of the day, I fought with myself not to think about him. At one point, I even screamed at the top of my lungs and let out energy from my body that had all my pans and pots dropped and clattered on the floor. But I still couldn’t get him off my mind. I finally gave up and let my desire for him take over. I drew my curtains close, even though I knew I was alone in this part of the mountain, and sat on my small couch. I leaned my back against it and bent my knees, anchoring my feet on the sofa as I parted my legs and slipped my hand inside my dress and into my underpants. I let go and pleasured myself with thoughts of the man I
ALTHEA. He was so close. Too close, I wanted to kiss him. Something was really wrong with me. This pairing was impossible from the very beginning. He was too old for me. He has an impossible temper. He’s a werewolf. And he was still in love with his mate. My hands went to clutch his hand that was holding my chin, taking it off my face as I dropped my gaze away from him, breaking the magic between us. “The food will get cold if we keep it waiting,” I said in a soft voice. I didn’t want to fight him anymore. Having him too close was making me weak. This was not a good sign. He was making me vulnerable. “Right. Let’s eat. I’m famished.” The last two words came out as if he growled them lowly, and my traitorous core clenched at the sexiness of his voice. It was a struggle to stay still while sitting in front of him, but I survived dinner without snapping at him. And he gave me back the same courtesy. We were both civil, but I could tell he was as uncomfortable as I was. But at
ALTHEA. I woke up refreshed and a bit later than usual. I really had a good sleep, which I hadn't had for a while. Maybe because there was a good-looking man in my house. But then I remember what he did last night and how he wanted nothing to do with me. But instead of getting disappointed, I chose to have a good day today. So, I started preparing breakfast for both of us. It had been a long time since I cooked for someone, and last night, I couldn’t help being happy that he seemed to like the beef stew I made because he ate so much. Maybe he was too hungry, or it was really a good meal. I had no idea how he felt about the food, as he never told me anything, but nevertheless, I appreciated my food being enjoyed. I hummed and smiled, making small pans and pots dance around me as I put the finishing touches on the omelet and pancakes I made. I had a few eggs left, and I had to go on a half-day hike down to an old man who had poultry if I wanted more. I did try taking care of c
BLADE. The walk down from her cottage to the foot of the mountain where I left my jeep went smoothly as Althea was secured in my back. She asked to be put down after a few hours, but I ignored her until she fell asleep when the night fell. I didn’t stop to sleep, as I didn’t want to have nightmares when she was around me. She didn’t need to realize how messed up I was. Besides, I wanted to reach Stone’s territory soon. The years of training as an Alpha, as well as my everyday life in the wild as a mercenary, had prepared me for this moment. I was used to being awake for many days straight, so staying alert even at night was not a problem. I never got tired easily, but having someone on my back for many hours straight was something I hadn’t experienced before. Although this little fire had a small frame, she was heavy, but despite that, my body felt at ease carrying her instead of worrying that she might fall and break anything on her body. She was so little and so fucking cl
(Free Chapter)ALTHEA. The last two days went by so fast, and I felt like I was just floating, making sense of everything. I was picked up from my comfort zone and thrust into a world I knew but had never experienced yet. The wolves and their pack. All I knew was that I liked Lucy, the half-she-demon and half-she-wolf who needed my help. I promised to help her, but in return, I asked her to kill my grandmother, Patrea. She was trapped in the demon world for many decades. I did ask Lucy to kill her, even if I didn’t want to, because it was the only way she could be freed from that realm. My mother told me that Patrea sold her body to a demon king, thinking she was outsmarting him by not binding her soul to him. But she didn’t know the demon would take it literally and trap her body in that realm. And to make it worse, he did something to her so she wouldn’t age, and no one but him and his bloodline could kill her in the underworld. My grandmother wanted death, as she was tir
BLADE. The drive to Salenda was long and painful. Althea was quiet the whole time, and every time a sound erupted somewhere outside of my vehicle, her body would jolt. She was scared, but she was trying to put on a tough facade. I already wanted to regret taking her here. It was selfish of me to place her in danger when she was living comfortably in the red mountains and was just worried if she would run out of food to eat, but never about demons. I knew there was no room for regret, but I wanted her safe. And not just safe, I wanted her to be able to get back to the life she was accustomed to. But I had no idea where to start from. I had killed many shifters, one after the other, but I had yet to face a demon. I was sure I was nothing in front of them, but I was sure as hell that I would not let them touch Althea if I could. I would never let another mate die on my watch. “Are you a couple?” The witch in front of us asked. I sat beside Althea in the middle of the living room
ALTHEA. “I can sleep on the floor,” Blade said after he closed the door, and we were left alone in that small room. I bit my bottom lip, trying to stifle a giggle from escaping my throat the moment I turned around to look at him. The roof was low, and he had to hunch his back to avoid bumping his head. “What’s funny?” He asked, scowling. Gone was the soft expression that was on his face earlier. Probably because pretending we were a couple no longer applied when we were alone. But I wasn’t even acting when I cried in the living room. I didn’t want him to leave because even if I was annoyed with him all the time, I wanted him around me. “You look uncomfortable with how small this room is for you,” I told him. “I am. I hate small spaces. I hate small things. I could crush them easily.” He answered right away. The smile on my lips was wiped out immediately. It just reminded me that I was one of the small things he never liked. “Will you be fine on the floor? We can share the pi