AQUA
Everyone said love turned people into fools, and I guess they were right. Or else, what could explain the dangerous risk I was taking tonight? I barely managed to clear the barbed fence, my paws brushing against the sharp edges as I leapt. I landed gracefully on the soft, damp grass beneath me, feeling the earth cool against my fur. The full moon cast its pale light on the forest floor, guiding me to the house I knew so well. I changed back to my human form and walked to the door, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I knocked on the door according to the rhythm my lover taught me. And he opened it almost immediately, his figure leaning against the door. His eyes anxiously swept across our surroundings as he greeted me, “You are finally here, Aqua.” “I’m here.” I replied. His nose twitched twice, sniffing the air before his eyes that glanced at my body dilated with lust. Happiness filled my heart at his reaction, even though I knew the only reason he was only behaving like this was because of my intoxicating scent. I was experiencing my mating heat which meant I was supposed to be indoors when the suppression drugs started wearing out. “We don’t have much time,” he murmured, backing away, his body blocking the doorway as he tried to hide his arousal. “Alpha Gunnar is inside and getting ready to sleep. This is our best chance if we want him to accept you.” “Wait, Leon,” I grabbed his hand before he could walk away and asked, “Are you sure he personally requested a third-tier submissive virgin wolf? Why does he want me?” Leon’s voice tinged with impatience as he explained, “I don't know, Aqua. Those were the orders he gave our alpha so I had no choice but to ask you.” My mind swirled with many questions but I instantly stifled them.Considering my wolf status, it was never a good thing to offend anyone. But it wasn't like disobedience was a choice, third-tier submissive wolves were the lowest in the food chain but we were very rare. That's probably the reason why they made us property of the pack. On the surface,we were under the alpha’s protection but the truth was that we were nothing but pawns, subjected to do his bidding. Leon’s touch pulled me out of my deep thoughts as he reassured me, “If you do this, Alpha Keegan would be very pleased. I'm sure he will grant us permission to get married.” “What about Juliette?” I asked. It was hard to believe that the alpha of our pack would disappoint his daughter like that. Even worse, that Leon would leave his true mate for me. He pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my waist. Leon was a typical Prince Charming with no imperfections, blond permed hair and honey brown eyes. He had the kind of smile that made every female wolf’s heart race, like he was the dream they could never quite touch. “I’ve already ended things with Juliette,” he said, his voice steady but soft. “True mate or not, I’ve made my choice. I’m following my heart, and right now, it’s telling me that it belongs to you.” My breath caught at his words, a flutter of warmth spreading through me. Since Leon was making some sacrifices, I felt it was only right for me to make my own for our future together. I nodded, “Fine, I’ll do it.” “Great!” Leon's expression brightened as he led me upstairs, guiding me to the room where the Alpha King, Gunnar Buchanan was staying. I had heard stories about him but most of them were rumors. There were only three things for certain; first, he was the only first-tier dominant wolf across all the lands, second, he was blind, and third, he was very ruthless and unkind. “Do your best, Aqua.” Leon bid me goodbye once we arrived at his door. I swallowed my nervousness as he kissed my cheeks and walked away, leaving me alone. A few seconds later, I opened the door and stepped inside. It took some time for my eyes to adjust to the dark room but soon, I was able to see my entire surroundings and the sleeping man in the middle of it. I wondered what I was supposed to do now. Straddle him or kiss him first? I approached the bed, slow and shaky. My eyes widened when I realized that he was also naked underneath the sheets. Climbing on top of him, I straddled his waist and ran my hands all over his chest before leaning down to kiss him. Without warning, his strong arms wrapped around me like a vice, holding me tight to his warm body. He got up halfway and leaned against the headboard. I gasped, arching my back as his mouth covered one nipple, his tongue swirling around the nub before he sucked hard. “P-Please be gentle,” I moaned at the exquisite pleasure spreading through my body, my fingers burying into his long hair. I hitched a breath when his other hand grabbed my ass, pulling me harder against him as he ground upward, the thick ridge of his length sliding along me. My brain circuited at the sensation, his relentless movements making it impossible for me to think clearly. His voice was husky with desire as he murmured, “Female…have to mate…” With one powerful thrust, he sheathed himself fully into me. Pain and pleasure shot up my spine, forcing a scream from my lips. One of his hands covered my mouth while his hips pistoned into me, pounding me hard in a punishing pace. The room was filled with our lewd sounds, his animalistic grunts mingling with my wanton cries. My head was yanked back, exposing my vulnerable neck to his hungry kisses. I panted, “Oh, dear moon goddess…” “It’s not the moon goddess. Just me,” he grunted, his hips rocking hard as he worked himself deeper. My eyes rolled to the back of my head when his teeth sank into my shoulder, marking me. The sting of his teeth sent jolts of electricity straight down my core where he pounded me ruthlessly. My pleasure built rapidly with the sensation of his hot mouth on my skin and the thrust of his hips. Sparks exploded behind my eyelids as his hand reached down to rub my clit, circling it in rhythm for his thrusts. “Cum for me, woman,” he demanded, his voice thick with lust. His fingers on my clit was overwhelming, sending me hurling towards my peak. My toes curled as my orgasm crashed through me in waves of intense pleasure. I screamed with my hoarse voice as Gunnar buried himself in me one last time, flooding me with his hot seed. “Ahhh!” he bellowed, grinding against me as his body twitched and shuddered with the intensity of his climax. The last thing I remembered before my world dissolved into darkness was the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me as he covered us with the sheets. I offered a silent prayer to the moon goddess for helping me survive the night.GUNNARA few days later, my deputy commander visited the florist shop with a letter. The moment I saw the seal on the envelope, I left my daughter with Mr. Wang and walked to the hallway to open it in private.It was from River Kincaid, accepting my challenge with certain terms that nearly made me bark with laughter.First, he demanded that the venue be shifted to the forest near his family's house. The second one was that we were to fight in our wolf forms, and the last was to come alone. No hidden weapons. No schemes. No backup. Although I had planned to engage River in a fair fight, I changed my mind once I realized he wouldn't do the same. I had no intention of losing this challenge because everything I held dear depended on the outcome of this match.My throne. My family. My mate.There could only be one victor after this match, and that person must be me."Is there anything I can do to help?" Colin, my deputy commander, asked. After disappearing for a few days, he finally looke
AQUAA few minutes later...“Ah!” My cheeks burned like fire after enduring a hard, ruthless slap from Hannah. I should have known she did not stay behind to chit-chat, but I didn't expect her to boldly torment me.After replacing my bonds with silver cuffs, Hannah stood from the bed and ran a hand through her tousled hair. “I can't believe you are going to marry River.” She scoffed lightly as she walked towards the window. “You know I always knew there was something wrong with that man. He looked just like a lamb in a wolf's clothing.”Anger bubbled in my chest when I heard her words. It took me less than a second to realize these were not my emotions but my wolf's.Because somewhere in her mind, she still harbored some kind of feelings for this psychotic douchebag. And it made me angry because I was pretty sure my fiancé, Gunnar, was risking his life to save us. A metallic taste flooded my mouth, so I spat it out. “What can I say? We are technically wolves, so it's not really a sur
AQUAI had a dream.I found myself in a garden. The scenery was so ethereal yet so real as the silver moonlight bathed my figure. I stood barefoot on the dewy grass, staring down at the short white dress I was wearing. Where sent hell was I? What was this place?Just when I was about to explore the place, an intriguing sight caught my attention. A wolf emerged from some leaves, approaching me with golden orbs. My breath hitched as I stared at the black, furry animal. That's when the reality of the situation hit me, so I quickly stepped away from it.“Oh, dear moon goddess,” I gasped, covering my mouth. “You can't be real, Saint.”The wolf still looked the same as he did back when he died. His shiny black coat was stained with blood that came from a gaping hole at his side. He stopped for a moment, assessing me quietly to see if I was okay. Slowly, I went on my knees and spread my arms wide. The wolf immediately closed the distance between us and rested his muzzle on my shoulders wh
AQUA After searching the house for three hours, the guards finally gathered in front of River's room. At this point, they seemed very tired yet didn't dare slack off due to River's threat to murder their families if they didn't find me.“Sir, I don't think that woman is in this house. I mean, we have searched every nook and cranny of this place, but we still haven't found her.” One of the guards complained to the captain. “How about we hit the streets and see if she's hiding in a friend's place?”The captain sighed and rubbed his face, frustration etched on each line. “The boss said he would search outside. Besides, the CCTV cameras never showed her leaving the premises, which means she's hiding somewhere.”I released a silent groan when I tried to move. My muscles were screaming for relief, but I chose to ignore it, forcing myself to remain still. I should have gotten out of the house when I had the chance, but I was too afraid that I would get caught again. A wave of nausea sudden
GUNNARI arrived at a florist store after a few minutes of running. The doorbell chimed as soon as I entered the building, announcing my late presence in the tiny shop. The heady aroma of flowers overwhelmed my senses as I made my way towards the receptionist's desk. Behind the counter, an elderly man hunched over the cash register, counting some bills he had made for the day. The moment he spotted me, a flicker of panic crossed his features, and he instinctively reached for a concealed weapon hidden beneath his stool.“Who's there?!” He barked. I raised my hand, palms open and visible. “I just want to ask you some questions, Old Hong.”Mr. Hong immediately stiffened when he heard my voice. I knew he had already recognized my voice, yet he simply cleared his throat before counting his money again. “I-I don't think you and I have any business, sir. Please come back tomorrow,” he mumbled nervously. My anger sparked as I slammed my hands on the counter between us. “Don't fucking play
GUNNARAfter several days spent among the Storm Fire Pack, my men and I finally tracked down the remaining soldiers under Bodhi's command. Whispers about him lingered in the pack, yet no one seemed to know the true story behind his demise. It appeared that River, in an unexpected act of mercy, had allowed the survivors to return to their families, but that hardly mattered to me.He was going to pay for killing my friend.“Is it true that the pack priestess is also gone?” I asked my deputy commander, my voice breaking the uneasy silence. I had overheard a group of women murmuring about it during my visit to the grocery store.At my question, my deputy commander stiffened, a flicker of shock crossing his face before he nodded with a grave expression. I felt my fists clench at my sides, anger and confusion swirling within me. I had left the pack for only two weeks, and already, it felt as if everything had caught fire and turned to ash.“How did she die?” I pressed, the heavy question we
AQUA I woke up to the sound of water running somewhere. My vision blurred for a second, and then I was able to recognize my surroundings. This seemed to be River’s bedroom, a place that I had visited so many times. The room was well-lit but extremely messy, like he hadn't visited the place for a long time. There were clothes spilling out of his closet and some books scattered across the floor, the kind of mess that River would have never tolerated in the past. I tried to flex my aching limbs to adjust my position only to discover they were bound. The biting grip of the rough ropes digging into my flesh hurt enough to bring tears into my eyes. Panic instantly gripped my heart before my mind could even catch up to the situation. How the hell did I even get here? Where was River? Instinct immediately took over as I tried to retract my claws, hoping to free myself from the tight ropes. But these things were sturdier than I had anticipated, almost as if they were made from another
GUNNAR The sun was high in the sky when we finally reached the boundary of the Storm Fire pack. My men were exhausted from the heat, their bodies glistening with sweat after fighting off a pack of hyenas lingering near the territory. I could sense their fatigue through the pack link but chose not to acknowledge it. I wasn't trying to be ruthless; I knew their job wasn't unfinished. As soon as I stepped into the forest that marked our pack territory, I sensed something was wrong. The weapons the patrols were carrying were not the standard gear I had approved for pack security, which likely meant my family was in danger.I held up my hand to warn my men, who were trudging right behind me. The noise instantly faded into silence as tension seeped into the air. We watched the patrols head towards our location as we concealed ourselves behind the trees.Even their uniforms were different, I noticed when my eyes landed on a badge on one of the men's shirts. At this point, I was starting to
AQUAWhen we returned to the pack, Wilder took us straight to the Kincaid mansion, where the elders were already waiting. My stomach twisted as I climbed the stairs, flanked by guards, every step heavier than the last.Their eyes followed me like a shadow, and the fact that I sensed it made me even more nauseous. These were the same familiar faces that had stood in my living room just two weeks ago, offering smiles, congratulations on my engagement, and pledging undying loyalty to the Alpha King. Now, they sat cold and silent, the weight of their betrayal hanging in the air like a storm about to break.They’d all chosen Nathaniel.And that meant Gunnar’s throne…was no longer safe."What, are you surprised that we got the elders on our side?" Wilder released a low chuckle after he noticed my glare. "Don't be, darling. You'd be surprised at how dissatisfied they have been with your mate's way of doing things."At that moment, I was barely restraining myself from punching him in the fac