2: HUMILIATION RITUAL

THEODOSA.  

A brutal ache spread through my chest like wildfire. 

Nothing could have prepared me for it.

 Narra shoved me as the crowd laughed, taunting and pushing the rejection along.

 The one person I thought didn’t find me disgusting… couldn’t stand the idea of anyone knowing we were mates. 

“You fucking bastard!” Binny roared, charging toward Narra as his shoes left burning footprints in their wake. 

He was fire gifted. That was his wolfs given ability. 

“Don’t try to fight me, Binny,” Narra warned, “You’ll loose.”

But Binny swung anyway, fiery fist blazing. Narra, water gifted—and an alpha-blooded one—extinguished the flames instantly.

 And when Binny cracked him across the jaw, Narra’s friends intervened and held him down.

 “What the hell is going on here?” Pippa shoved through the crowd with her boyfriend right behind her, holding her back.

“Narra… st-stop,” I whispered. 

“What was that?” Narra turned, brows slanted harshly over angry eyes. “You know, I tried to be nice. Your sister kept coming to me, asshole! Throwing herself at me ’cause I wasn’t treating her like shit. She was desperate, looking for attention from any guy who wouldn’t gag just looking at her.”

Everyone was staring. Every word he said dug deeper.

“And I took what she offered, fucking sue me!” he roared.

“Narra, you’re being a sadist. You’ve made your point, let them go,” Pippa said, trying to push forward, but Narra’s friends blocked her easily.

 Binny jerked his head up and spat hot, molten mucus at Narra’s shoes.

 The glob melted through the leather instantly.

“Let’s toss them out to the river, Triosi,” one of his friends said. “They can swim home.”

 “Yeah,” Narra agreed.

 My stomach dropped. I wasn’t a good swimmer.

 I turned to Narra, the hurt and confusion written all over my face.

 How could he do this?

 “After everything we shared, you’re going to act like this? You’re going to just walk away?”

 Narra watched me before he closed the distance, and leaned down to whisper, “The only thing we ever shared, was your pussy. Once.”

 I lifted my chin as he pulled away, hastily wiping the tear the fell before anyone saw it.

 Narra snapped his fingers. “Take them out the back!” 

“No—” Hands grabbed me. Pippa’s voice vanished as I was hauled through the house.

 Binny was dragged across the floor, fighting against a wall of high-rankers. Even with his beta strength, he didn’t stand a chance.

 This wasn’t a fight. It was a humiliation ritual.

Cold night air hit me as we were shoved outside. The sound of crashing waves made my heart drop. 

I hit the ground. Binny was forced to his knees beside me, arms held out, face bleeding.

He looked at me. I couldn’t hold his gaze—I turned toward the water.

This river separated the three Kingdoms of the Northern Realm.

 Kingdom Duskmire.

 Across from us, Kingdom Lucenia.

 My head turned in the direction of the one hidden in shadows.

 Kingdom Obsidian.

 People said it’s ruler was a depraved Lycan with a wolf he couldn’t control. 

Xahen Ithorno.

He was the oldest king in the northern realm. 

Everything about him was mysterious. Everything about him was scary.

 Rightfully so.

If the rumors about his wolf were true, then that meant there was a forest surrounding his territory, protected by Xahen’s beast of a wolf, where every single guest was the animal’s prey.

Merchandise and transport moved freely between Duskmire and Lucenia. But Kingdom Obsidian had been cut off for as long as I could remember.

And that’s why there was a divide in the river, a clear line where the water shifted from dark blue to black.

The black line was never to be crossed.

“Liking the view, Fane?” Narra mocked, standing behind Binny near the edge. “Any last words?”

“Fuck you, Triosi.” Binny spat.

“Throw him in,” Narra ordered.

They hurled my brother into the river. I rushed to the bank, searching the surface.

 Seconds dragged on. He didn’t come up.

“Where is he?” Pippa screamed. “Can you see him, Theo?”

 Goddess, don’t let my brother die because of me.

 Then Binny burst through the water, gasping. He tried to swim back, fighting the waves.

 “Don’t throw her in here!” he shouted. Panic cracked his voice. “The current’s too high. You’ll kill her.”

 “Beg me, Fane.”

 But Binny didn’t hesitate. “Please! Don’t throw her in!”

 Narra laughed. “That was easy.”

 “Let her go, please,” Binny begged. “Just let her leave.”

 Narra nodded slowly. “Throw her in.”

 The ground disappeared under me instantly.

 The water swallowed me whole, ice cold and sinking into my bones. I kicked hard, fighting for the surface. Every time I reached it, the current yanked me back under.

 I finally came up, hearing Binny’s relieved shout—before I was pulled under again.

 The water was too strong.

 When I surfaced next, I reached for Binny. But he wasn’t close to me anymore. Infact, he was very, very far away. 

The noise died.

“Help her!” Pippa screamed as I was dragged further out.

“Binny!” I cried, choking on tears. “Binny, help!”

“I can’t reach her!” he yelled, thrashing helplessly. “The current keeps pulling me back!”

His eyes were wild with terror.

 “Narra do something!” Pippa was now at Narra’s side, shaking him and hitting at his chest. 

No one reacted.

Their faces were white as sheets as they watched the current sweep me away.

 “She’s crossing the divide,” Pippa cried, “That’s Kingdom Obsidian, she’ll never make it back alive. Help her!” 

The moment I crossed into his forbidden territory, I felt it. 

Darkness.

Surrounding me.

Pulling me in.

My vision was giving out on me. My limbs were no longer working.

I would have been long dead before I washed up on his shore, and that was the last thought I had.

And then my eyes opened.

I gasped out for breath, choking instantly as water poured from my mouth and nostrils.

I didn’t drown?

My hands were buried in dark dirt, and I lifted my head, looking around. To the left of me, waves crashed against the bank, just inches from where I lay on the ground.

The water… was black.

It hit me all at once.

At the exact same time, an overwhelming presence seemed to press down on me.

Suddenly, I couldn’t see a thing. Everywhere was dark.

No, not dark. Black.

The crunch of gravel reached my ears, and my entire body tensed as I looked in the direction of the sound, unable to see anything.

They were footsteps, and they were getting closer. 

A faint scent hit my nose.

I sniffed the air, wondering what could smell so good in such a nasty environment.

The scent was growing thicker, making me so aware of it I could almost taste it on my tongue.

It was musky, potent, kind of harsh.

But for some reason, I couldn’t get enough of it.

My head turned as I caught a wave of it, my nipples tightening, my chest growing heavier.

 Was Narra close by?

 I had felt all this earlier when I realized he was my mate. Only now… it was all more intense.

There was warmth pooling between my thighs, an ache growing on my skin that felt like only rough hands could soothe.

What was happening?

“You are back.” The rough voice made my entire body tighten. 

“Again.” 

In fear.

“You have returned.” The voice seethed, “Again.”

 In desire.

 And then the declaration came back, taking hold of my senses, making me unable to think or feel anything other than the word, “Mate.”

There was an angry growl that reverberated through the whole forest as soon as I said it.

Fear swallowed me whole.

But my body reacted differently.

My body... was on the verge of combusting from that growl alone.

It didn’t feel this way earlier with Narra.

Was it even possible to have two mates? Or find them in the same day?

And my mate was in Kingdom Obsidian?

Was this some sort of joke?

The darkness ebbed, and the moonlight cast a faint glow down on the forest.

That’s when I saw him.

Shrouded in shadows.

His skin was bare enough for me to tell he was naked, but the shadows covered his legs, his crotch, wrapped around wrists that were coated in heavy tattoos.

 His entire body seemed to be inked.

 Dark hair. Pale skin. Sculpted face.

 Eyes full of rage.

 Rage directed at me, as he growled out, “Mate.”

 And then came the next declaration, roared as his canines descended, a feral look overtaking his handsome features, “Run!”